


Breaking the Wolf

by Vivagrazia



Series: Breaking the Wolf [1]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Artificial Insemination (unsuccessful), Flashbacks, Forced Fighting, Gen, Healing, Inhumans - Freeform, Kidnapping, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Team as Family, Torture, Ward's dark at first but is more anti-hero, Whump, nonconsensual medical procedures, people treated as zoo exhibits, switches from present day to months prior, well now that I'm making the rest a sequel he's just pretty mean in this one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-21
Updated: 2015-10-14
Packaged: 2018-04-05 09:46:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 42
Words: 90,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4175247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vivagrazia/pseuds/Vivagrazia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While seeking out recruits for their new team of gifteds, Skye and Lincoln are mysteriously captured. When they are found months later, they're different. Traumatized and feral.</p><p>Mere hours after their rescue the team must uncover what happened to prevent history from repeating, but talking through what the Inhumans underwent might be a harder chat than anyone realized.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Trigger Warning for nonconsensual medical procedures.

_Eight Months Ago_  


Bang. Bang. Bang.

Unfortunately, that had not been the sound of Skye's ICER taking down some lowlife. Or the local high school band's drums. Not even that annoying Jessie J song.

That was sound currently echoing off the sides of Skye's skull, considering her head was  _pounding_. And not just a dull pain that came and went. Nothing like that. More as though someone was insistently knocking, but she was too tired to get up and let them in. Or more accurately, open her eyes.

Eventually, she conceded and did just that, though not without that grumpy grumble someone being rudely awakened would make. Though the noise was only in her head. Unfortunately, this motion of flicking open her eyes didn't stop the pounding. Not that she really figured it would. The scarier thing was that the basic action had been more difficult than she thought would be considered normal, as Skye barely managed to flutter her eyelids.

"She's waking up," someone said. A woman, Skye noted, though the voice was absolutely foreign to her.

"Really? That's… unprecedented."

 _Doctors_ , she figured. Skye wondered if she was hurt from a mission she couldn't quite recall. Maybe this was some SHIELD doctor patching her up. Wouldn't be the first time.

But she would know the doctor's voice, right? She's at least  _met_  them all.

Skye strenuously mustered up the strength to open her eyes. As expected, she was met with a medical room. But it surely wasn't SHIELD. It was dirtier, more haphazard than anything at the base. She wasn't in a medical gown, or even her own clothes.

Well, most of them. A bra and panties were the only things left on her.

It reminded her of how she'd woken up in Afterlife. Despite how unpleasant  _that_ had been, there was something much more sinister about what was unfolding in front of her now.

She tried to get up, fight back at all, and found her muscles would not respond. Just on a whim in a last effort she attempted the action to merely cover herself, but it was as though her brain could no longer make contact with her limbs.

 _Where am I?_  she wanted to ask.

But she couldn't. Her words were trapped in her throat, she noted, with the frightful realization that they took her voice as well.

Her breathing quickened and so did an eerie steadfast of beeping, which made Skye aware that she was hooked to a heart monitor. Her eyes darted downward to see all the wires protruding from her skin.

This was _so_  not good.

Skye forced herself to contain her emotions and the heart monitor gradually settled back to an even pace.

"Oh, would you look at you?" a man who could perhaps comically be called a doctor said. His spikey white hair was not covered by a cap. He didn't wear a gown as most doctors in surgery… but an apron? Over a suit.

Weird.

He appraised her with an awful smile, amusement written all over his features. "You're a strong one, aren't you?"

Skye wanted to tell him off. Make a quip. " _Yeah, strong enough to bash your head in._ " Something.

She managed a breathy grunt.

He chuckled, pleased by her attempt and failure of such.

"Yes, you are. You might want to save it for later, you'll need it. For now though, you don't have to worry," he told her, even as her gut was saying the exact opposite. Tenfold. "We're only taking a few samples, monitoring your vitals. Nothing life threatening."

Skye chuffed out her nose. It did not do the anger she was currently being burdened with justice.

"Oh, and the paralysis is a precaution. A few of the more… invasive tests were setting off your powers, even unconscious. We couldn't have that, of course."

There was the sound of someone clearing her throat and Skye moved her eyes up to see the nurse (or whoever was playing as one) with an impatient expression on her face.

"Right, we should get back to business," the man said. "We're going to put you back under now. Despite the paralysis, you'd be feeling pain. And we wouldn't want that." He grinned, and Skye's stomach twisted like she'd just seen Satan himself smile. "We're not monsters, after all."

Skye strained to see the woman as she moved and saw her hold up a syringe. She could barely make out the lady pushing the liquid into her IV, but felt the effects quick enough as her eyelids turned to lead.

Skye's eyes were already closed by the time she heard the doctor's last hair-raising words.

"We'll put the chip in next. Care to make the cut? It's just the front of her cerebral cortex…"

Then darkness flooded her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings will usually be addressed in the END of the chapter's notes.
> 
> Skye and Lincoln: I was writing it as friendship, but the natural chemistry that's been happening feels more like pre-relationship stuff. So... let me know what you guys would rather see. Ultimately I will decide and through the feel of the story, but if you want extra romance or light on it I wouldn't mind your input.
> 
> Ward: He's not in the story a ton but definitely plays an important part. Though there will not be Skyeward. Also, I am taking this right from the season finale. Ward seems fairly sinister there, and will therefore have malice towards the Skye and the team when we first see him. So though he wont' be the main villain, he's not entirely sweet either.


	2. The King's Son...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team reunites with their Inhuman friends.

_Present Day_

 

It had been months.

Eight months, two weeks, three days and seven hours since Jemma had last seen Skye.

And she was worried her friend would be different. No, worried was too simple a word.

Terrified. She was terrified her friend would be  _broken._

All she'd been told was what they knew, and that wasn't very much. Lincoln and Skye were held at a facility in the Hoh Rainforest. Bobbi, Hunter, May and… their guest who really shouldn't be there at all as far as Simmons was concerned, went in to find them.

Which they did.

So, it was with a great deal of anticipation that Jemma paced their base camp. Even being stuck inside that damn rock hadn't been like this, though she honestly didn't remember much of the experience.

"We've got them, Jemma," Fitz tried to soothe her. "You'll fix them up if they're hurt and they'll be right as rain."

"Fitz," Jemma said, her voice breaking. "You don't know…"

"I do know," he insisted. "I know very well. If they're different, we'll… we'll just help. They're alive. After months, they're alive. It's a gift."

Simmons shook her head to regain composure. The quinjet would be there any moment to pick them up, bringing her friends as patients and she had to be ready for them.

May popped out first. "We don't have much time, they could be tailing us. Lincoln says they put some kind of microchips in them, they're probably trackers. Fitz?"

"Yeah, I'll see if I can disable 'em," he muttered, already packing up the gear. They had found a fair amount of cover and were planning on staying there a while, but if trackers were involved… "Simmons, you'll have to biopsy them first. Did you bring the portable one that would work?"

Jemma couldn't answer. She did have a scanner, in fact. It was good news.

But she could not take a moment of mind power to stop looking at Skye and answer Fitz.

Because her friend was there, in the jet. Huddled up to Lincoln, scared and cold, but she was there. Real.

"I have the scanner," Jemma said, after Fitz prompted her once again. May beckoned them inside, grabbing their equipment haphazardly. Simmons couldn't even be bothered to care.

"Get us in the air, Morse," May said as she closed up the ramp.

"Oh god, Skye!" Simmons exclaimed, running up to the girl immediately and embracing her.

Or, she'd tried.

Skye snapped immediately, from cowering on Lincoln's shoulder to grabbing Simmons by the wrist and twisting painfully.

Lincoln shook her shoulder as Hunter stood. "Skye!"

"Bloody hell!"

"Oh," Skye breathed in realization, releasing her as though she were just diagnosed with TB. "Oh, god."

"It's alright." Simmons tried to sound sincere, though she rubbed her wrist tenderly as there were tears in her eyes. "I should have known…"

Not to startle terrorized people. People with post-traumatic stress. With psychological issues.

Lord, she didn't want to go through this again.

"I'm sorry, Simmons," Skye said.

"Please, there's no need for apologies," Simmons said, hating that those were practically the first words out of the girl's mouth.

"She was drugged recently," Lincoln put in, his arm protectively around Skye. He scoffed. "Not that  _that's_  anything new…"

Skye winced at what could have been a memory and Lincoln held her nearer. They'd certainly grown closer in the time they were gone.

"Ok, that's alright," Simmons said, trying to keep up her pleasant voice. "I mean, what they were doing to you wasn't alright…"

She sighed as they looked up at her miserably. Pretending whatever happened to them was OK when it clearly hadn't been wasn't the way to go. Downplaying their horror. Her voice turned low, but still comforting. "Look, we're going to get you both patched up. First things first, we'll need a quick scan of your heads so we can get those chips out. Right Fitz?"

The engineer looked startled, still recovering from Skye's unexpected attack. "Oh, yes! I think we should be able to, uh, nullify them once we know what's going on."

"No," Skye said firmly, her head swiveling with pursed lips.

Fitzsimmons shared a look, just before Leo stepped forward. "Skye, if there's trackers-"

"You'd put me out, right?" she asked, her eyes not meeting theirs and voice unsteady.

"It's… it would be brain surgery," Simmons told her. "Minute brain surgery of course, but you wouldn't want to be awake for the experience."

"I can't have people…  _touching_ me," Skye said in a feral whisper, shaky hands gesturing up and down her body.

"Skye," Simmons pleaded in shock. "We want to help you."

"I know," Skye said, her eyes closing as though trying to remind herself of the fact. "I know. I just… they… put things  _inside_ …"

"We're aware," Simmons said gently. "And we need to get it out."

"Erm, how about we give them some times to process?" suggested Hunter. "It's a hell of a lot to take in…"

"They don't have time," May said. "Every moment those things are still working is another step closer to those people finding them again and killing all of us. Fitzsimmons have to do this  _now._ "

"I'll go first," Lincoln offered. "Show her it's safe." He held her hand tighter as he separated their bodily embrace, walking forward towards the scientist.

Simmons cocked her head curiously. Skye wasn't a weak person. She was actually one of the strongest people Jemma knew, but no matter how much courage and grit you have there is always a breaking point. So of course Simmons wasn't surprised by Skye's actions.

What  _was_  surprising was how better off Lincoln seemed to be. Had they focused on Skye?

It was ridiculous ponderings when Jemma didn't even know what they'd been through in the first place.

May moved right up to her rookie. "Skye, you need to ground yourself. You're not there and it will be Simmons working on you. Helping you. Simmons, and no one else. Do you understand?"

Skye stared at May helplessly, her eyes begging for nothing but mercy. "I mean, I guess…"

"Do you understand?" May repeated solidly.

Skye nodded. "I do. I know… this is a good thing. An amazing thing. I guess I'm confused as to why I'm not more… relieved? I'm so on edge."

Simmons understood.

Skye felt like it was a trick.

"Um…" Jemma started hesitantly. "It's common, if you've tried to get out or… have come close to freedom that there become negative associations with premature hope, so your mind isn't allowing you to fully process this situation for what you should most likely perceive it as-"

"Fine," Skye said shortly, nearly cutting off Jemma's ending words. She hated the harsh tone her friend was having. More so, she hated the people who forced it to be there.

Simmons cleared her throat. "You ready, Lincoln? The scan should only take a few moments."

"Yeah, and then I can figure out what to do about it," Fitz put in.

"And… well, we'll go from there!"

She was being overly cheery again. Compensating.

As Lincoln agreed and walked away from Skye, Simmons saw just how torn up he was as well. Hallowed eyes and nervous movements. He was barely holding it together for her.

"So, you guys are curious, I take it?"

They turned at Skye's harsh voice, her crossed arms making her appear standoffish.

"One thing at a time, mate," Hunter said. "You don't have to talk-"

"What if I want to?" Skye asked roughly, shrugging hard. "Am I supposed to keep everything bottled up, be nervous and scared to talk, ashamed of things that were out of my control?"

"I- no," Hunter stuttered. Skye had gotten right into his face. "Of course not! I'm just saying you don't have to."

"I was forced to fight, to  _perform_. I've been starved and beaten." She gestured Lincoln with her chin. "And had to watch my friend go through the same thing. To me, it's pretty clear when I  _have_  to do something and when I don't have to anymore."

Simmons had to use all her effort to keep from crying as she readied her equipment.

"Skye, don't do this," Lincoln pleaded suddenly. "You might not want them to know later."

"Do you not want them to know?" Her voice gained a sudden softness to the harsh tone it had been sporting, though it was still there as an undercurrent.

"You can do whatever you want," he told her. "I'm not…  _ashamed."_

"Me neither," she said quickly.

Jemma wasn't entirely sure either of them were telling the truth, though they might have been lying to anyone else just as much as themselves.

Skye and Lincoln held a long gaze as they got lost in each other, but Skye broke it off and cleared her throat. "Never mind. We can… we can do it later."

"Coulson just contacted me," Bobbi said from the pilot seat. "I don't think this is over. They're on the move."

Skye's eyes lit up at Coulson's name, her crossed arms morphing into a near self-hug.

"I think… we might need to hear any information you can give us," Bobbi said, adding a small rueful smile.

Skye swallowed. "Ok," she agreed, nodding. "Ok, right. Um… do you want to know everything?"

"Whoever had you is regrouping," Bobbi said. "Give us anything you think is important."

Skye blinked, as though trying to think. Simmons turned her head and focused on Lincoln. Skye appeared so hurt and lost all the biochemist wanted to do was run to her, and obviously that didn't turn out well.

"Um," Skye said awkwardly. "I guess I'll start at the beginning."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the main story will be happening in flashbacks (that's why these chaps are so short), which other than that glimpse in the prologue we haven't gotten to yet. It's up next!


	3. ...and the Painted Lion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye and Lincoln explore their unsavory predicament.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you commenters Mountainfall and NugatoryPlebeian! Means a lot :)   
> (I never know if you want to be bothered with individual replies or not, haha)

_Eight Months Ago_

Skye groaned. It was unlikely that she could have been on a more uncomfortable surface, she surmised, as her arm and side felt prickly, cold concrete beneath her skin. Her leg was hanging off the side of… what was she on? A bench?

Her hands and wrists felt tight, as though they were being squeezed. It was with no small amount of dismay that Skye realized inhibitor gloves had been forced onto her once again.

Well, this situation graduated from 'not good' to flat out 'bad'.

She struggled to open her eyes, only to be faced with…

A wall.

"Hey," said a woman gruffly. Or… shouted a woman. The noise seemed to beat into Skye's ears.

The agent turned to flip to her other side. Doing so had her noting that she was incredibly groggy and a little nauseous. She was met with a rather large, middle-aged redhead lady. Her hair was pulled back tight and her skin appeared as though she hadn't seen sunlight in weeks.

The woman pointed a grubby finger at her.

"That's my seat," she grumbled.

Skye was still so out of it that she just blinked at the rather intimidating lady.

Apparently this was the wrong response, as she promptly found herself a foot off the ground when the woman grabbed Skye's shirt and pulled her up.

No part of Skye  _appreciated_ the sudden hauling, but her stomach certainly liked it the least. Immediately she emptied its contents onto the floor, which narrowly missed the woman.

"Oh, gross!" shrieked the lady, sounding utterly disgusted. "You little idiot, how am I supposed to sit there now?"

Skye stifled a moan. She still didn't feel quite right and therefore hadn't taken in her surroundings yet or done anything on the mental checklist May had given her for if she were to wake up in a strange place. But her impromptu vomiting at least cleared her head a little bit, _just_ enough to notice the woman raising a fist.

Her instincts kicked in instantly. She broke out of the woman's grip by weaving her hands to the lady's inner arms and pushing outwards. Skye landed deftly on her feet.

The woman nearly snarled. "Why you little-"

"Ok, break it up, break it up!" A man dressed in pure black and a helmet stepped between them, brandishing a large stick. A bat, nearly. "She just got out of processing, leave her be, Thrash. If you've found a reason to torment her once she's found her sea legs, have at it."

The woman gave Skye a final growl and a sneer, stomping away with contempt. Skye made sure to hold her gaze until she was out of sight. As her attacker left, though, so did Skye's sudden energy and focus. She wobbled, falling to her knees.

"Get up," said the man in black. She felt a rough tap on her back and realized he'd given her a small kick. "New meat can't look so vulnerable in here, more of 'em will be after you."

"Who they hell do you think you are?" Skye finally managed, putting some heat behind her voice. "Where - hey!"

The man had already started walking away,  _while_  she was talking. The freaking nerve!

Skye ran after him, her eyes growing large when they caught a glimpse of just exactly what kind of a place she was in.

Not a very  _nice_  place.

It was dark and concrete, with only one large light on the ceiling that was meant to accommodate such a large room. It had two complete, solid walls and two that had corridors leading off of them. In the center of the room was a fence - or a gate, perhaps - so that the area was split in two.

A large line of yellow marked a square in the center about a foot away from the outer walls. And though Skye had only been there a few minutes, she could already tell people were avoiding getting near the colored edges. There were actually a lot of people in here.

And they weren't all strictly _normal_  people.

Some were colored strange. One had extra limbs, while another was a near reptile. Though there was a large amount that appeared just as human as she, it was the other ones that caught her attention.

Were they all Inhumans?

Or Nuhumans, as SHIELD had taken to calling the sudden crop of which that were appearing due to the fish oil incident. With the exception of Skye, Inhumans knew what they were getting into when they went through Terrigenisis. They knew what would happen even if they hadn't gone through the mists yet.

These people… they were lost. At least Skye had known she'd been hit with something alien. To the Nuhumans, they were merely living regular life until one day they sprouted wings or were the next Dr. Doolittle chatting up the cat next door. SHIELD was trying hard to find and contain them, but so far they weren't having the best of luck.

Skye shook her head. She wanted to catch that man before he was gone; maybe get some answers from him. She refocused just as he was walking passed that yellow line.

She jogged to catch up with him, only to be stopped by an arm around her waist when she got near the threshold.

"Hey! I need to talk to him."

Skye spun around to face the person stopping her rampage, her mouth open ready to spew venom. But that's when she saw the blonde's compassionate face: Lincoln.

Then it all came rushing back to her. They had been going after one of the Nuhumans, trying to help or maybe even recruit them to her new "Caterpillars" team.

It wasn't really a surprise that no one had answered when they knocked. They weren't exactly having good luck with their expedition of finding people.

What _had been_ surprising was the dart that appeared in Lincoln's neck just a moment later and how he'd fallen to the ground after that. She couldn't even help him before the stinging needle bit in to her as well, so she'd been forced to follow suit.

"Lincoln," she said with the utmost amount of relief in her voice as she wrapped her arms around him, giving him a quick squeeze before releasing. "What the hell is going on?"

His eyes darted downward. "It's not good Skye."

 _He_ certainly didn't look good. He looked hollow, somehow. He was wearing a grey jumpsuit, loose fitting, almost like a prison uniform. Skye glanced over herself. Wow. She hadn't even realized she was dressed in the same thing.

Was that what this was? A prison?

A bell sounded, loud and clear and piercing to Skye's ears. She jerked, almost having to cover them.

"Listen up! This round's winner is Hellfire. The next challenger is: Crusher!"

The PA clicked off, the booming voice along with it.

Thank god.

Skye shook her head. "What did any of  _that_ mean?"

"C'mon Skye," Lincoln said, grabbing her wrist and pulling her to another side of the room. His hand felt textured. She saw that he was wearing similar looking inhibitor gloves on as she had on.

"Oh no," she breathed dejectedly. Lincoln caught her gaze and played up a rueful smile.

Whoever they were, these people not only knew about their powers but how to stop them.

He sat her down at an unoccupied bench. There were a couple tables more towards the center while the benches lined the outside of the square. Skye and Lincoln were in a more secluded corner.

With a closer look, Skye noted that Lincoln's gloves appeared to be rubber. Made sense, given his powers generated electricity. They didn't look any less tight than hers, though. She tried to tug on one of her gloves.

"Ouch!" she yipped.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he said.

"Yeah, getting that…" she said, rubbing her now stinging hand. She inspected the glove up close. Just barely lifting the edge, she saw _tons_  of tiny tendrils connecting her skin to the glove. "What the hell is going on? How did they make these things!"

"Everyone in here has powers, Skye," he said hastily. "They're collecting them."

"What?" she said in disbelief. There were so many… More than what the Index even said, and she hadn't recognized one of them off the list so far. Though something about a few of them at least  _seemed_  familiar, just not their faces. And Skye was good with faces. "How long have I been out?"

"They put me in here a few hours ago," said Lincoln. "Before that, who knows how long they had us under…"

Skye pursed her lips. She didn't like the idea of being kept unconscious for days.

She liked the thought of being in power-people prison even less.

"Why?" she asked. "Are they building an army?"

"From what I can tell, they make them battle each other." Lincoln's eyes flickered with sadness. "A couple of them haven't come back."

Skye shook her head questioningly. "Like they're taken somewhere else? Or…?"

"I don't know. Not too many people in here are friendly. I haven't been able to get answers just yet."

"Ok… well we need to get out of here. And sooner rather than later."

Lincoln huffed a laugh. "Easier said then done."

"There has to be a way," Skye protested determinedly as she began surveying her surroundings. Lincoln stared at her. Suddenly, he poked the back of her head.

"Ow!" she shrieked. The spot he touched had been sore. "What the…"

"They put a Nano chip in your  _brain._  We can't go passed any of the boundaries or it sends you an automatic pain response. Trust me… I know."

He must have tried it, Skye realized. She saw the same bit of his head shaved with a small bump beneath it.

Shaved? Does that mean…

Skye reached up and touched the tender point again, this time distinctly noting a lack of hair that should have been there.

"They cut my hair?" she exclaimed hotly.

"Skye," Lincoln said evenly. "I think we have bigger problems."

"Yeah. Yeah you're right," she said, absentmindedly feeling over it. Of course there were more pressing problems, but she had a nagging feeling to ask Lincoln how it looked. She managed to suppress it.

She didn't want to appear  _that_ materialistic.

"I'm pretty sure these guys are the reason we keep running into trouble with finding the Nuhumans."

Then it hit her. Skye'd never met these people or seen their pictures because she'd never  _gotten_  to them, though she'd seen descriptions in her briefings.

"They're snagging the Nuhumans before we get to them," Skye muttered in understanding.

Lincoln nodded. "Yeah."

"Oh god… this is all my fault."

"No, Skye…"

"The  _Nuhumans_  are all my fault. _I_ pushed the crystals into the water… And now I've condemned all these people to… to slavery!"

Skye felt sick at the thought, like a shadow of grief was overwhelming her.

Oh wait.

That was an actual shadow. A person had come over and was now looming over them.

"You two. Come," the man in black ordered and turned about, assuming them to follow.

"Hey buddy, we're not dogs," Lincoln spat. "We won't just –"

Quick as whip, the man whipped out a bat and shoved it into Lincoln's stomach.

"Lincoln!"

"Follow me, now," he hissed. Lincoln had fallen to the ground, but Skye had already made her way over to help guide him up.

"C'mon," she said softly.

"No," Lincoln said harshly. "I won't be pushed around by-"

"Look, we can co-operate and learn something or refuse and get hurt. I have a feeling we'll need to save our strength. We're just gathering intel, ok?"

She whispered this, and though the guard gave them a cocked eyebrow of impatience he didn't ask what they were speaking about.

Eventually, reluctantly, Lincoln nodded.

They were led down the hallway to the right after being coaxed passed the yellow lines, assured their chips would not hurt them in this instance.

Their hesitancy seemed to please the guard though, making Skye's blood boil.

The room they were brought to reminded Skye of where she and May would train back at the base. The walls were barer, though, and the mat seemed less inviting to trust yourself to fall onto.

There was a man with his back to them. He was flanked by two other men, mind you, but they were clearly guards and he was surely important. The guard leading Skye and Lincoln here forced them to their knees.

"This is quite the show you're putting on for us," Skye commented, earning a small jab to her side with the bat.

The man before her laughed, chilling her bones. When he turned around she recognized him immediately.

The "doctor" that had been working on her.

Well, if he didn't look like a doctor before he certainly seemed even less qualified now.

Apparently the guy liked suits, which was fine as far as she was concerned (one of her favorite people favored suits) but his was sharp at the edges, giving it a sinister gleam. His whole demeanor screamed 'pompous.'

"Strong _and_ smart, you catch on quick!" he complimented. "'Putting on a show', as you call it, is the  _exact_ reason what we do here succeeds."

He walked forward, eying up Lincoln like meat at the market.

"I like to get to know my subjects personally, you see, considering I'm going to be playing a fairly large part in the remainder of your lives."

"And what part is that?" Skye asked dryly.

"Your new owner," he said. "My name is Tobias Kane."

Skye scoffed, unable to contain her disbelief. "No one _owns_ us. No one owns any of us! All of them out there are prisoners if any-"

There was a loud crackle along with a light. Before Skye was able to even process what had caused it, she was doubled over in pain and clutching her stomach.

She moaned, pulling her wits together only to register Lincoln repeatedly saying her name.

"I'm ok," she said quickly to stop him. She didn't want him saying anything that would earn him pain as well.

"I thought you said we were going to observe," he whispered, and she had no response but her cheeks reddening. She  _had_  thought that would be the best play. Hell, it probably was still the best play. But what he'd said, claimed to _own_  them… how could she not respond?

"Such concern!" exclaimed Kane in pure amusement. "It is touching. You don't see much of that around here, and most likely it will be trained out of you… just as this one will be trained to hold her tongue."

Skye withheld a remark. If they thought she was weak they would underestimate her and make escape easier later. Though the infuriating smirk that played on Kane's face almost had her screaming.

"I see you're already starting to catch on."

"Can I at least ask questions?" Skye asked. A near oxymoron, as it was a question itself.

Kane tilted his head, obviously taken by her boldness.  _So much for acting weak._  "As long as they amuse me. I advise you tread carefully."

"What makes you think it's ok to own people?" she spat.

Kane smiled, almost pityingly.

"And here I thought you were more clever than that, but you ask a question that does you no good at all. In fact, it only points out your naivety. People sell people every day, even if  _you_ turn the cheek and are blind to it." '

With every word he spoke he took hauntingly slow steps toward her, until Skye had to strain her neck to look up at him.

"Yet, you two are not so much as human. Even better, you've labeled yourselves as such _: Inhumans_. So  _excuse_ me for trying to grab an item before it gets rights. Like the gays…" He turned suddenly to a guard. "Did you hear the whole of Ireland legalized same-sex marriage? A country where majority of the people are Catholic. Crazy!"

Skye glanced sideways at Lincoln. His face told her he was just about as disturbed as she was that they were in the possession of a man who seemed to become more psychotic by the second.

"Anyway," he continued, turning back to them. "we can cut to the chase. You fight, you are rewarded. Don't… you get pain."

Lincoln snorted. "From what I hear, fighting usually earns you some pain anyway."

Instantly a guard cracked him in the back with a bat, as another rushed forward to restrain Skye from helping him even as she cried out. Kane moved forward like a viper, grabbing Lincoln's chin so that he looked directly into his eyes.

"That was not a question," he hissed, whipping Lincoln's chin away like it was diseased and wiping his hand on his shirt absentmindedly. "And it certainly did  _not_  amuse me."

Lincoln was coughing and Skye wanted nothing more than to go to him, but with her body held firmly in place by strong hands she set her sights on getting more information. "How'd you find us? You've known where we were going to be…."

Which really was saying something. Considering SHIELD was secret on a normal basis, the Caterpillars and Nuhumans were classified on a higher level than anything else. Skye and Lincoln would wear street clothes even when going to recruitment.

"With help." Kane grinned, the gesture quickly becoming infuriating as often as he did it. "You two were sold to me."

Despite Lincoln's pain he managed a questioning look to Skye.  _Who would do such a thing?_

"But that's neither here nor there. We have to prepare you for the pits.  _If_ you try to protest or resist your training,  _both_  of you will be punished."

He said this to shut Skye's mouth that had quickly opened, she was sure of it. To have two people that cared for each other was apparently rare here, and she knew from interrogation tactics it could be a blessing when gathering intel.

A steel door that reminded Skye of one that would lead to a garage began opening at the other end of the room, drawing everyone's gaze as a figure was pushed through.

Skye's mouth gaped and she didn't even think to look at Lincoln. She knew this person. Not by a picture on the Index or by explanation of a Nuhuman, Skye knew her personally.

Also, Skye'd thought she was dead.

"Now," said Kane. "I want you two to try your  _very_  best to kill this girl."

The woman shuffled backwards in fright, but managed to draw her eyes up from the ground in preparation of what was meant to be an oncoming attack. Skye saw the golden orbs stare at her in pure fear. Ones that she used to think could only hold malice. Ones she'd never thought she'd see again.

Raina.


	4. The Dog...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hunter shows his soft side.

_ Present Day _

"What's going on?" Lincoln asked, eyes widened with fear.

"The plane's landing," May explained gently.

Though it was a fairly obvious happening, she didn't hold any cheek or incredulity in the answer. Hunter sympathized with the woman, really. Both of them were her rookies. Really, Lincoln had only been around SHIELD for the team Coulson and Skye were building, but… he needed an SO figure. And May seemed to adopt him right along with Skye.

"Oh yeah, right."

He swallowed and clutched Skye closer. If Hunter didn't know any better, he'd say there couldn't be a more obvious set of lovebirds on the planet.

But Hunter _did_  know better. Or at least, he knew enough to realize it didn't  _necessarily_  mean they were into each other in like that. Eight months with only one person to turn to for comfort would certainly make you pretty snug with one another no matter what.

He observed them as he sat off to the side, arms crossed in interest.

To be honest, after Bobbi's incident he was prepared for them to be in a much worse condition. At least they seemed alright… physically.

"Alright, I've got a good outlook on what we can do about the implants," Fitz said, coming up to them with a tablet in hand. "We can set up outside once we're safe on the ground."

"Outside?" asked Lincoln. "Not back at the lab?"

"They're trackers Lincoln," said Skye in explanation. "It would be a bad idea to make it back to base before we get rid of them, I'm guessing."

"Right," Lincoln scoffed. "I don't know what I was thinking…"

"Not a problem mate," Hunter chirped, trying to lighten to the currently quite dismal mood. "I had to think about it as well."

"Not exactly helping my case," Lincoln said. With a smirk.

Oh, it was an insult.

"Oi!" Hunter exclaimed. "I'm not exactly stupid."

Lance may have been offended, usually, but he was just happy to see the boy's sense of humor was still in place. _Someone_  had to check up on him as well as Skye.

Because that had always been how people worded this predicament _. 'We need to find Skye,'_  or  _'Skye's missing.'_  Even May, and she clearly had a closest bond with him next to Skye.

Hunter understood. Lincoln was the new kid on the block and Skye was like a surrogate daughter to Coulson or something, but the other Inhuman was a person too. Or… if Inhumans could be considered people, which they should… in any case, just as important as Skye!

So Hunter had silently assured himself that while the rest of them would coddle over the ever-important Skye, he'd make sure Sparky was alright as well.

To be fair, on cursory observances Skye seemed worse off. Clinging to Lincoln more than him to her. But over the couple months that Lance had gotten to know him, he'd taken notice that the boy tended to step up when others were in peril.

Actually a pretty common trait in these parts (maybe it was a SHIELD thing), but all the more reason to keep an eye on him.

The plane touched down with a thud and the scientists got to work setting up their haphazard camp once again.

"Where are we, Bob?" Lance asked as he walked out of the jet. More shrubs. Didn't look too different from the place they'd just left, truthfully.

"Northeast Colorado. Should be a good enough distance."

Hunter nodded. To be honest, he didn't really get why they weren't just doing it in the plane. Keep on the move.

"Simmons, Fitz, you'll have to make it fast," Bobbi explained. "We don't have too much time."

"It's  _brain_  surgery, Agent Morse," Simmons said as she hurriedly got out equipment. "In the middle of the jungle. You can't exactly rush it!"

Ah. That was… most likely why they weren't still in the air. Turbulence and brain surgery could probably get messy.

Skye's was chewing fairly determinedly on her index finger while Lincoln appeared to be in an unbreakable stare, looking over the scientists preparing the area.

Simmons caught their appearance. "Not that anything's going to go wrong, of course!" she assured. Then she beamed. Nudged Fitz.

"Oh, yeah," he muttered quietly. "Of course not."

"Alright, it would appear that we're ready," Simmons said a few moments later.

Skye was shaking her head. "I can't do this."

"It's ok, I'm going first," Lincoln assured her. Though he didn't sound exactly…  _sure_ himself. Still, he stepped forwards towards the tent they'd just pitched. Hunter didn't miss the way May eyed Skye, gauging how she'd react to Lincoln leaving her. She seemed alright.

 _Him_  on the other had, not so much.

Subtly, quite so as his hands were balled up in fists at an attempt to stop the motion, Lincoln's hands were shaking at his sides.

Hunter grabbed him and pulled him a bit away. "Mind if I have word with Sparkles for a moment?"

"Hunter," Bobbi scolded. "We don't exactly have a moment?"

"Just a second," he said, giving her a look he was sure _she'd_  comprehend. They'd acquired that sort of secret and silent language people seemed to get when they knew each other very well.

As expected, her eyes lit up with understanding immediately and she backed off, assuring May it wouldn't take long.

"You alright?" Hunter asked Lincoln after being certain they were out of Skye's eye line.

"Not really," he admitted.

"Right, dumb question. What I mean is: are you ok with… what they're about to do?"

"I'm just not a big fan of being knocked out," he said, his eyes avoiding Hunter.

"Well, who is? Eh, I guess I can be, sometimes, when decent drugs are involved… maybe Simmons will give you-"

"No." Lincoln closed his eyes and shook his head, as though trying to rid himself of a thought. "Whatever she gives me better just make me dead to the world."

Hunter's eyes grew a bit wide.

Just over an hour ago when they'd first picked him up, Lincoln had been saying that they'd made him see some pretty weird stuff. And since he'd been asleep… maybe it only happened in a dream state, hence his hesitancy.

"You sure you can go first?" asked Hunter. Though to be honest, if he did say no, Lance was fairly sure Skye wouldn't be too keen on the idea either.  _Then_  where would they be?

Lincoln's face focused, like he was completely in the moment once again. Determined. "Skye's had her fair share of firsts. It can be my turn now."

"You don't have to be strong just for her, you know. Every little thing you do doesn't have to affect Skye."

"You're wrong," Lincoln said. "That's exactly what it does. That's exactly what we were… taught."

The wording sent a chill up Hunter's spine. He waited, in case Lincoln had more to divulge. He hoped they had a minute.

"I couldn't do it for her," Lincoln said, dejected. "Not at first. Not at the start with Raina…"

"Raina," Hunter muttered, almost forgetting about her.

"Yeah," he said. "She's not dead like we thought, she's-"

"At the base," Hunter informed him, prompting a shocked look from the kid. He hadn't known. "She showed up about a month after we lost you two."

There was silence for a few moments. Hunter was tempted to fill it, but he managed to hold off. A small feat for him.

"Let's get this over with," Lincoln said finally. "It needs to be done. And while I'm…  _out,_  don't tell Skye Raina's around."

"What? Why?"

"Just wait. She doesn't need to think about her while she's so nervous about this."

"Hey," Hunter said, catching the boy's shoulder. "It's not necessary that you grin and bear everything. I mean you'll have to  _bear_ this stuff, seeing we need to get the trackers out… but you don't have to constantly hold it together."

Lincoln stared for a moment as though contemplating. Even opened his mouth to perhaps say something.

Then, the kid shoved Hunter's friendly hand away.

Kept on walking.

Didn't say another word.

 _Yeah,_  Hunter thought.  _Definitely need to keep an eye on that one._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lincoln hasn't been seen very much in the show so I'll be adding my own dimensions to him. Just as well, in this story Lincoln had been training at SHIELD for Skye's group of gifteds for a couple months before they got kidnapped. Therefore he had time to bond with the team, and I'm going to explore that bit.


	5. ...and the Wolf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye's forced to fight.

_Eight Months Ago_

 

Skye was so shocked she couldn't move. Couldn't think.

Jemma had said she shot Raina twice and it didn't even slow her down. Could she have survived Jiaying's attack, even when it seemed so fatal?

Apparently, the answer was yes.

The girl herself looked awful. A few of her thorns were broken off and she wore a tight band around her head. Raina's usual demeanor of being above everyone was gone, her eyes on the ground and her arms around her middle protectively. Even in the end, when Skye had come to realize she'd had good within her, she'd never seemed so… defeated.

"Bring the girl forward."

A man in a black suit grabbed Raina, beginning to drag her into the center of the training room and-

" _Not_ her! I said the  _girl_ , not the prickled monstrosity..."

A moment later Skye was hauled from the ground by hands gripping her upper arms, while Lincoln was led to the corner of the room. Pushed out into the middle of the training mat she met Raina head on.

Raina didn't say anything. She looked resigned. There was no spark, no conniving way out in those yellow eyes.

For the only time other than what Skye had assumed to be her death, she pitied her.

"Go on," prompted Kane. "Attack."

 _No way!_  Skye wanted to scream at the top of her lungs, but doing so would get Lincoln hurt. She knew it. Maybe there was a loophole…

"I can't use my powers," she said, lifting her hands. "How am I supposed to attack?"

Kane rolled his eyes, but apparently the fact that it was a question satisfied him well enough. "I know it is  _difficult_  for the likes of you, but attack as though you are human."

 _He hasn't said anything about us being SHIELD agents._   _Maybe he doesn't know._  She could use that later.

For now she had to delay as long as possible.

"Shouldn't…" Skye swallowed, drawing out the question as long as she could. "Will she attack me back?"

Kane was circling the mat like a vulture. "She has been ordered not to."

"Then I… won't."

The spark's blue lights made Skye's stomach lurch in memory, but they weren't directed at her. They were directed at Lincoln.

He slumped forward sluggishly.

"Stop!" Skye growled.

"Attack!"

"No!"

It happened again, this time accompanied by a fierce kick that sent him flying to the ground.

There were tears in Skye's eyes. "Please, stop."

"Only you can stop this. Attack her!"

"I  _can't_!"

Kane sighed and made another gesture. Soon enough it was  _Raina_  howling on the ground, but no one had hit her. No one was near her.

"What are you doing!" Skye yelled, examining the woman. She could not see any visible signs of the pain's origin.

"You are capable of feeling this as well," Kane explained in harsh tones.

As scary as he'd been before, Skye didn't realize his full potential to be so until he was hissing like a snake. He made large steps forward and grabbed Skye's hair, the loose strands pinching her scalp.

"We put a chip in your head," he sneered, shaking her head as he gripped her painfully. The incision from the very chip he'd mentioned stretched and tore. She withstood the attack soundlessly; that was nothing compared to what was happening to Lincoln and Raina. "It sends pain impulses. I can do this to you all day and you will not have a mark on you. Is that what you want?"

"Get away from me…" she growled. She  _could_  escape his grasp, she was fairly sure, but to do so would show him training.

It wasn't worth it.

"I said, is that what you want!" he shouted.

"No!"

He jerked his hand away so that she was shoved towards Raina. "Then attack."

Skye considered it, momentarily. It would be better than Raina feeling the pain from them, right? She could go easy on her.

But that's how they start you off. Get you to do one thing, then another, and next thing you know you're taking a life.

She wouldn't let them get her anywhere near there.

Skye turned directly away from Raina, staring Kane square in the eyes as she spoke slow words.

"I will  _never_ attack her."

Kane's eyes flickered, only for a moment, though with what Skye couldn't be sure before his grin was finally back in place.

"Take her to Box One. Three days, no food or water."

Kane turned around and focused on Lincoln as she was prodded with one of the guard's bats telling her to start moving. She swatted at it in frustration, but was forced to step along with them even as she glanced backwards to get a look at Kane and Lincoln.

"Your turn," the man sneered. A guard hauled Lincoln up and threw him onto the mat. He landed on his stomach with a bounce. Skye saw him straining with attempt, but he couldn't get to his feet. He'd been hurt too much already.

"Lincoln!" she desperately tried to call.

Skye saw his crystal green eyes, worry engulfing them, before the door closed and cut her off from his tormented face.

* * *

Box One was pretty much as expected, considering it was, well, a box. There four walls, equally spaced, and not much room. Skye couldn't even lie down. Thankfully, her legs weren't forced to bend when her back was propped against the wall, but that wasn't the only blessing about the place.

Ok, not so much a  _blessing_ , as the other was that it was a good place to cry.

It was one of the few things she could do, alone in the pitch black. Though it was only a few minutes into giving herself such release that she realized she needed to maintain her water. And that it was pathetic, but what better place to do such things than alone in the dark?

Skye didn't see anyone for the entirety of three days. They brought her no food or water of course, and with the absence of those apparently came a lack of bathroom breaks.

The only thing that freaked her out more than the thought of them creating this box in the first place was the fact that it was Box  _One_ , implying that they were in the possession of more.

Maybe that's where Lincoln was, too.

Or maybe he caved and hurt Raina. Maybe he killed her. What if he wasn't the same when she saw him again?

Skye's thoughts were already spiraling and she was going to be alone in the dark for seventy-two hours. People couldn't go insane  _that_  quickly, right?

She tried to focus her mind and avoid such negativity that was invading her brain. Lincoln would be fine. Raina would be fine. They'd all be fine, and maybe SHIELD would find their location and rescue them sooner rather than later so that when this box opened up she'd see Coulson's smiling face.

The mere idea of Coulson and the team only made her want to cry again, so she steered clear of those thoughts the best she could.

Skye slept as often as possible. Or, she at least tried. Sometimes she couldn't tell when she was sleeping because she'd dream of waking up in the box, only to wake up again and  _still_ be in the pitch black box. How many times that she'd woken up had it even been real?

Her attention turned to her pinpricked gloves for a while. She tried to pry them off gently and then forcefully, determined to make headway. Skye did this for hours, or so she presumed, and all it accomplished was dousing what little hope she had.

Hunger came and went. Sometimes it felt like her stomach was eating itself, other times she felt nauseous, but most of the time her dry mouth would overtake any senses her belly had until all she could think about was thirst.

By the time her cell door finally creaked open Skye was sure at least a week had passed. She figured she'd felt dizzy from thirst for more days then she hadn't, which seemed like  _way_  more than three days anyway.

"Get up, girl," a faceless man in black said, just after the dim light of the hallway had blinded her. Skye had never felt more tired, more exhausted…

More determined.

The light flooded her like hope, so despite how starved and thirsty she was she felt renewed.

She had to crawl from the box - which was more like a square hole in the wall that's texture resembled a tiny cell - before she could stand on her creaky and untrustworthy legs. She relished the moment to subtly stretch them.

"Move," the guard said, giving her a push that almost had her falling. Almost. She paused, taking a beat to hold her head high.

They walked her back to the same training room where she was met with Kane once again. He wore the same outfit. It was a black suit with a silky sheen, red embroidering the edges. It gave off the look of someone wealthy, but it was a near uniform as though to show that he was in charge as well.

"Did you enjoy your stay in your new accommodations?" he asked.

Skye trained her head up slowly. "It was awesome," she said with a smirk, though her voice was cracked and hoarse from disuse. "Though I wouldn't really call them new, considering I never had accommodations here in the first place. Plus, the actual cell seemed pretty old-fashioned. Might want to come out of the middle ages."

Somehow, despite not having seen this man do such a thing before, Skye expected the slap before it landed on her face a moment later.

That didn't mean it stung any less.

Kane sighed, as though disappointed at a child's behavior. "When will you learn to bite that never-ceasing tongue of yours?"

She shrugged. "Depends if I can still ask questions?"

He gave her an odd look. She thought he might hit her again.

"I'll tell you what, girl. You do as you're told and I will give up any information you ask for that I see fit."

 _What a deal,_  Skye thought sardonically. Still, she knew it would happen anyway and took what she could get.

When she was led out to the training mat she did not struggle, though such a thing would be difficult in her current state anyway. It was actually about the time she reached the center of the mat she realized her body was trembling from the malnutrition.

The garage-like door opened once again and again a figure was pushed out.

But it wasn't Raina.

Thrash, the woman who had yelled at Skye before she was even awake in this hellhole, was staring back at her.

And she looked  _way_  too pleased to be there.

Kane smirked. "You two will hurt each other to the best of your abilities… without your actual  _abilities,_  of course."

Skye gulped. This wasn't just refusing to fight a defenseless girl, this person would try to hurt her. And judging by her size and Skye's deteriorated state, she could very well succeed even if Skye tried to fight.

If she didn't try… Skye could die.

"Where's Raina?" she asked, her voice as strong as she could muster.

"C'mon now, is your memory really that short?" Kane sneered. "I told you questions _after_  you do as I say."

"Aww, this is gonna be fun, lil' girl," Thrash sang, a fist repeatedly punching into her palm in preparation. Huh. Skye didn't even realize she'd had a southern accent until now, and it was really quite prominent.

Skye blinked, looking down at her arms in longing. How reliant she had become on her powers lately… and  _god_ was she thirsty. Her throat burned. Her mind was fuzzy to such a degree it was affecting her vision.

Could she do this, even if she wanted to?

"Well?" Kane shouted. "What are you waiting for? Fight!"

At that, Thrash began rampaging like a bull towards her, a strangled, raging scream ripping from her throat.

Skye realized she didn't have a choice.

She dodged the first tackle, just barely moving to the side and getting her arms up into her stance. Skye noted that Thrash had very little fighting ability or training, and briefly wondered what her power was. Not that it mattered here. They were both nullified.

At the second dodge Skye managed to push the woman once sidestepping her, leaving her large form barreling forward. She didn't fall though, so the move only served to make her pissed.

"Why you little-" Thrash cut herself off and came at Skye with a raised fist. She narrowly missed the agent who ducked to the floor and tried to sweep the woman's legs out from under her.

One: It failed. Skye didn't have the strength to sweep such a large foe at the moment, even as unsteady on her feet as Thrash was from being a little too… round. Two: Skye was too woozy to leap up as she normally would, making it to a crouch, only to waver and fall backwards on her bottom.

Thrash kicked at her, but Skye blocked it with her arms in a rather painless way as it hit her gloved wrists. When she kicked again, Skye took her chance and grabbed the woman's leg. Pushing as hard as she could, she sent Thrash flying backwards with a shriek.

Skye scurried to stand. She could easily land a kick now, but her opponent was down. Wasn't that good enough? Could they stop?

The answer was apparently no, because Thrash grabbed her calf and sent her spiraling down once again to land on her stomach. Her chin hit the ground with a thud that rattled her already muddled mind.

Thrash stepped on her back so hard Skye couldn't help but allow a pained shout to burst out of her. Then she saw a shadow in front of her, one that told Skye the other woman was raising a fist…

"I think that's enough," Kane said placidly. Like stopping a waiter that had been grating freaking cheese at Olive Garden or some shit.

The foot was removed instantly and Skye picked herself up to her knees. Not for the first time in the passed day, she couldn't help but dry heave.

Kane addressed a guard. "Take Thrash back to the Courtyard. Make sure she's immune from the pit today."

Thrash threw Skye a toothy grin, confirming the SHIELD agent's thoughts that she enjoyed this little tumble. Skye wondered how many there were here like this woman, getting _thrills_  out of whatever this was…

Skye's trembling had increased from expelling energy she didn't have. She thought she might faint, but, of course, that wasn't an option. Somehow, her mind clued her body in on this information enough so that she was able to get herself back on her feet.

Kane appeared in front of her with the footing of a ghost. "There, that wasn't so hard, was it?"

Skye swallowed non-existent spit in her mouth. "It wasn't the same. She wasn't- she wasn't defenseless."

"Aw, well I wouldn't worry. We'll work you up to that, girl."

"My  _name_  is Skye."

He appraised her as though she were a breed of insect he'd never seen before. Tiny, insignificant, yet curious.

"Not anymore. That moniker  _would_  work well enough for the fights, but should be suited more for someone with wings or such." He chuckled to himself. "Heh, we might as well call you 'Ground'. But don't worry, a name should reveal itself soon, I'm sure," Kane told her before addressing the guards. "Bring her back to the Courtyard as well, but make sure she's on side B."

Kane turned to walk away, disregarding Skye as though she'd already disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Wait!" Skye shouted after him, finding herself winded from  _that_. "You… said I could ask some questions."

"And you can, if you really want to. But I said I would give up answers that I see fit to, which at the moment is, hmm… none! So I won't be sticking around to hear them."

He walked away. And despite her attempted shouting, he didn't turn back around this time.

Maybe it was the weight of disappointment after trying to keep her spirits up for so long. Maybe her body was just _literally_  saying it couldn't take anymore. Whatever it was, as Kane left Skye there her vision turned double and she fell to the ground, mind succumbing to unconsciousness.


	6. The Ant...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye talks to Coulson.

_Present Day_

"Skye? Wake up, Skye."

The girl gasped awake, her body lunging forward on the med bench.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Simmons said, laying her hands on Skye as though calming a nervous child. Still, it was hard to miss her hesitancy. "It's ok, we're at the Playground. We just disengaged the chip, that's all."

Skye remained frantic but she didn't try to run. That was a good start. Though she did eye herself warily, as if checking that they hadn't taken her kidney or something similarly important and attached to her.

Lincoln went rushing forward. His presence seemed to sooth her and Coulson wanted the man in the room when Skye awoke based on the description of her initial response on the plane.

She ducked close into the Inhuman's chest. Her eyes darted away from him as she clearly noticed Coulson, Morse, Simmons and Fitz staring at her, and by the looks of the girl their attention did not please her. She scowled and cut off the embrace.

Skye swallowed, her face softening as she looked to Simmons. "So it's gone for good?"

"Well, not exactly…" Simmons replied sadly.

" _What?"_  Skye exclaimed hotly.

"I'm sorry Skye, but we couldn't do it without… well, to put it plainly, without killing you. The way it's been integrated with your nerves, it'd be impossible."

"But…" Skye trailed off, obviously at a loss of words. Like she was grieving.

"It's ok," Lincoln assured quickly, his hand finding her shoulder. "They turned them off."

"Exactly," Fitz piped up. "We were able to negate them. It will never work again, we promise."

Skye lifted a hand tentatively, feeling the spot that had been shaved and cut into. She dropped it with a sigh.

"Coulson," she said, pinning her eyes to the man's face after they'd been resigned to the ground for a while. "How… how long were we… gone?"

"Eight months," he told her immediately.

To be honest, he'd hoped something else would come out of her mouth. He wanted nothing more than to let her know he was so happy she was alright and that they'd been found alive after missing for such a time.

But he'd been ready for any person to be brought back. Eight months… it was long enough to be dealing with someone cut to pieces inside and out. For their old selves to be long gone, to be scared of human touch.

If Skye wasn't begging for a reunion hug he was perfectly fine with that, so long as he could help her, as well as Lincoln, heal in any way he was able. Right now, that was by answering her questions.

"Can you tell me where we were?" Skye asked eagerly, every word on edge. Like the answer was some game she had huge stakes in.

"We found you in the Hoh Rainforest," Coulson explained. "It's in Washington."

Skye nearly mouthed the word, as though puzzled and trying to sound it out for herself.

"You were right about the rainforest," Lincoln said with a smirk.

Skye tried to return it half-heartedly, but set her sights on getting off the bed and nearer to Coulson.

"I missed you," she told him through a thick voice, tears brimming in her eyes. "A lot."

"We missed you too," he said. "Things aren't the same without you two. Mack and Hunter didn't have anyone to think of nicknames for _, Tremors."_

"She did pretty well turning that on me, actually," Lincoln said.

Coulson wanted to hug her. Maybe Lincoln, too. But her arms were wrapped protectively around her chest and he knew that would be breaking a personal boundary at the moment, despite how many times she'd surprise attacked him with the gesture.

"Can we talk… alone?" asked Skye.

Coulson nodded. "We can go to my office."

"Perfect," Simmons said. "I can take the time to examine Lincoln. Your ankle looks enflamed."

Lincoln began answering as to why, but Coulson didn't really hear him. He'd just opened the door and gestured for Skye to go out when she shouted at him.

 _"_ _Hey,"_  she hissed. "I can do that myself."

He blinked. "I never said you couldn't."

Skye inhaled sharply. "I-I- um… I just…" She took a deep, steadying breath. "Do you mind if I walk… behind you?"

He nodded. "Whatever you want," he told her.

"Thanks," she told him, shuffling back as to give him room to exit.

Coulson swallowed. He was prepared for the worst, but he'd truly hoped it wouldn't manifest.

_She's trying. She's only been out of there a few hours, she'll get better._

Skye walked into his office and immediately began scanning the room, her arms huddled at her sides. Worried someone would pop out?

"The base is secure," he assured her, shutting the door.

Her eyes widened at the noise as she spun around. "Wait! I…. can you leave that open? Please?"

He did so until it was wide as it could be and moved away so Skye could feel accessible to such. Though he wasn't entirely sure this was the best move, she could just as easily be worried about someone coming in. Especially after asking to speak alone.

"I'm sorry I'm so jumpy."

"Please don't apologize," Coulson asked.

Skye acted as though he didn't speak. "It's just like… I want to be away from everyone but I don't like… enclosed rooms so much, I guess. And I really want to be with Lincoln all the time but Simmons keeps talking about tests and I don't think I can be around the lab but Lincoln shouldn't be denied medical-"

"Hey," Coulson cut off her rambling, and pacing too, as he clutched her hands.

She whipped her hands out of his grip immediately, but played off the gesture as she ran her fingers through her hair.

"I'm talking too much, right?" She scoffed. "I guess that's what happens when you're in solitude… think you'd get used to the silence, but apparently it's the other way around." Skye laughed, no humor whatsoever in the gesture.

"You're doing fine," Phil told her tenderly. "But if you want to talk that's great. I've already contacted Andrew-"

Skye was shaking her head. "No. We're debriefing _now._ Bobbi said Kane's on the run and if there's any chance we can nab him with Lincoln and I's intel, we'll tell you everything we know."

"Skye…" Coulson implored, his hands finally dropping to his sides after being held awkwardly before him.

He didn't want to have her relive months of…. whatever they'd been through just after a few  _hours_.

Coulson couldn't imagine what she and Lincoln had been subjected to. Experiments? Forced to work for organizations like Hydra using their powers? He didn't know. The other Inhumans at the base that had come from the same facility were sketchy on details due to fear, and Skye and Lincoln had been there months longer than those people.

"I want to," she said. "Trust me, we've been through worse than a chat with our friends. I just… have a couple questions."

"Of course," he said.

"We couldn't ask very many, before…"

"You don't need an explanation. You're not a prisoner anymore."

Skye's lips pursed as she tried to hold back tears.

Oh god, what did he say wrong?

"We weren't prisoners to them. We were assets… or even just, property." Her glossy eyes met his. "We weren't ever treated like…" She cut herself off as she purposefully cleared her throat, eyes regaining focus as her mind came back from wherever it had run off to. "It sucked, is what I mean."

"You don't have to shrug this off-"

"Ok , but how did you find us? And… what took  _so_   _long_?"

He knew she didn't mean it, but there was a desperate accusation hidden in the cracked words.

"We had no clues as to where you were. Not until about two days ago."

"That's when we escaped…" Skye muttered. "Obviously we didn't do a very good job."

"You did  _something_. Raina couldn't see you at all with her visions before that. We… we assumed the worst, for a while."

"Raina? Right, Bobbi mentioned…"

"She found us about a month after you left. And she's been helping to find a few others."

"Good," Skye said, nodding absentmindedly. "I'll talk to them soon…"

"There's no rush. They've been here a while."

"Ok, but I do want to talk. Before I get… _examined_  or before anything else. Except, I just have one question."

Coulson anticipated she'd ask this question sooner rather than later.

Even if he wished it could have been 'never'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know if you're tooo confused with this chapter, though it is supposed to raise more questions than answers.


	7. ...and the Grasshopper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye feels the effect of her days in Box One.

_Eight Months Ago_

"Whoa!" Skye shouted, bolting upright. She immediately regretted this as her throat was still burning from lack of water. But she was cold and she was wet, and such a sudden cold and wetness made her shocked enough to yell.

"Jesus Skye, I thought you were dead."

Skye laboriously lifted her head to see Lincoln, his concerned face beaming down at her through… a gate? Oh. They were on separate sides of the room.

"I was scared for you too," she admitted with cracked strain. "But right now I'm dying to get something to drink."  _Literally._  "Is there water?"

Lincoln grimaced. "I just used the rest of mine to get you to wake up. I was honestly really worried..."

"I have some left," Raina said, whom Skye only just registered was standing next to him. "Hang on."

Raina returned shortly with a cup about half filled with water and she passed it to Skye through the gate. It just barely fit. Had it been any more full, some would have more likely than not spilled out from the amount she had to tilt it.

Skye tried to drink it slow, but the attempt was torturous and futile. And when it was gone she felt even less satisfied than before. It was like trying to turn the Sahara into a beach by throwing a pail's worth of water onto it.

Not to mention it almost made her want to puke.

Lincoln took notice. "You're basically too dehydrated to even drink anymore. When people don't drink enough, their electrolytes get so screwed up it'll make you nauseous."

"Oh don't worry," Skye said, suppressing the urge to make a comment on how that made _zero_  sense. Stupid body. "If there's more water I can keep it down. Where did you get it?" She pressed on her belly, hoping she was right. She just needed  _more._

"They gave it to us with dinner," Raina explained. "I don't think you'll get any until tomorrow Skye, you missed both meals today."

Skye felt such a pang of loss at the information her heart felt as though it had fallen into an endless abyss that happened to be her stomach, but she didn't think there was much she could do about the fact.

"Ok," she conceded. She tried to comfort herself with the fact that she was at least no longer in 'Box One.' Then thought to change the subject to something useful. "Raina, how long have you been here?"

The woman curled into herself rapidly and immediately, becoming apparently self-conscious. Lincoln laid a tender hand on her shoulder.

Skye was abruptly envious, being away from them. Being separated from the touch of other humans who didn't want to harm her.

"She's been here since Afterlife, Skye," Lincoln said, when Raina seemed unable or unwilling to provide the information. Skye started. That had been _months_  ago. "We didn't know enough about her powers to realize she'd survive."

"I was not meant to survive!" she shrieked. Her large sad eyes looked up to Skye. "I… I saw it. That was truly supposed to be the last time you and I spoke. And I wish it had been."

"No," Skye said determinedly. Her voice was still so rough, she didn't really want to use it. But she pushed through. "You're alive and that's what matters. You helped me realize what my mother really was by sacrificing your own life and… and I'm going to make sure you get the hell out of here."

Raina began to laugh, a dark chuckle that always helped Skye assume she was a supervillain. Now it just seemed desperate. "Don't you get it? We're already in hell."

Skye shook her head. "We can do this."

"You haven't been in the fights yet, you don't  _know,"_ Raina hissed. "You think them forcing you to hurt me was bad? You think your stay in a Box was bad?" She scoffed. "You have no idea."

Skye stood, her hand clinging to the gate between them. "Then tell me and we can figure it out together! What happened after they took me to the Box?"

Lincoln shared a quick look with Raina, who nodded. He seemed ashamed by the time his eyes met back with Skye's.

"I did it. I… I attacked her."

"Oh, Lincoln…"

Skye wasn't mad. She didn't blame him. She pitied him, them all, for having to make such ridiculous decisions in the first place. This wasn't a mission and these weren't SHIELD agents. These were fabricated situations civilians were being forced into.

"Raina told me it would be better for both of us," Lincoln explained. "And it was."

Skye nodded vehemently. "Ok, that's fine. Keep yourselves alive and well. But do  _not_ let them take any more than you were willing to give when you first got here. They're going to try and influence us slowly, make us take baby steps so by the time we're  _murdering_ people, we won't even realize it."

Lincoln agreed fully.

Skye couldn't be his SO, not really. She wasn't experienced enough quite yet, but that didn't stop him from looking up to her like one. The trust he had in her was… flattering.

Raina merely scoffed, crossing her arms. She clearly didn't trust in what Skye was saying though she didn't attempt to disagree.

Skye eyed the area around them. Most of the people were just lounging, barely speaking with the others. At first glance, you could think they were just anti-social.

But then Skye saw the scars. The bruises. Bandages and inhibitors that were all the marks of  _everyone_ in this place being subject to abuse. One kid couldn't have been older than fifteen.

It was  _disgusting_ , and Skye vowed in that moment to find an end to it. Not just escape herself.

"First things first, we have to start talking to these guys. Gaining support-" Skye stopped, the dry tickle in her throat becoming too much and giving a light cough. "Gaining support in here is really important, because-"

Alright, the tickle monster was full on attacking her now. Skye found that she couldn't stop gagging.

"Ok, that's enough talking for you," Lincoln told her. "You're severely dehydrated."

Skye's lips quirked into a smile. "Yeah, that's what happens when they starve you of water for three days."

Her quip's failure was evident by the concern and horror on Lincoln's face when she looked back to him.

"They're not trying to kill me," Skye answered the question on his face. "I mean, I don't think. That would be kind of stupid…"

"I'm going to ask a guard for water," Lincoln said shortly, standing up from his kneeling position.

"They're doing this on purpose," Skye told him. "They won't give it to you."

"Well, I'm going to try," he said in a tone that meant there was no arguing. His concern washed over her in waves. Despite her starvation, she felt better than she had in the passed three days.

"Fine. But don't get yourself in trouble. We'll figure this out more… when they give us meals tomorrow and I'm not dying anymore."

"Please stop joking about your death," Lincoln said.

If his tone was no nonsense before, it was funeral serious now. Which made sense, talking about death… because, funerals…

Skye might have been a little slaphappy.

"Ok," she said earnestly.

"Just try to sleep," he said. "But you'd better wake up when I nudge you once they call us to the barracks."

Skye smiled. "Now who's joking about death?"

Lincoln gave her a sad smile, touching her fingers that lay at the bottom of the gate. She took the liberty of grabbing his hand. Despite that Lincoln said he was going to go find water and despite Skye just sitting on the ground, she was able to fall into a relatively peaceful sleep as she found comfort in his touch.

* * *

Lincoln  _had_  intended to ask the guards for water, but Skye was probably right. They knew exactly what they were doing.

And he couldn't imagine just leaving her there.

Skye, who was helping him become a SHIELD agent just as much as he helped her transition to Inhuman, who was so strong and defiant no matter the circumstance, had been dropped back into this cage like a broken bundle of limbs.

He was at least grateful they'd left her at the gate where he and Raina could reach her; keep an eye on her. Her lips were chapped and pale. Bruises were forming on her face and, though he couldn't see them, he could imagine the ones that were on her stomach from the shocks easy enough. He'd been looking at his own for three days.

And in that time, what had he accomplished? Skye said they needed to talk to people. He had Raina, but the girl was a sliver of the woman he once knew. She'd explained that most of the people there were either too heartless to care about the pain they inflict on one another or too cowardice of punishments to help their peers.

It did not seem like an easy place to make friends.

Lincoln rubbed his thumb over Skye's hand, wishing he could wake her up. She appeared too vulnerable like this. But he knew time would pass quicker if she were sleeping, and until she had proper nutrition she was going to be in pain.

"How could they do this to her…" Lincoln mumbled, mostly to himself. He didn't expect a response.

"They've done it to a lot of people," Raina said, her voice hallowed. It was her norm. "Whenever someone doesn't obey the first command, that's their go-to punishment."

"To put someone in a hole without food or water for three days?"

 _Four_ , his mind amended, as Skye wouldn't be getting anything until tomorrow.

Raina nodded. "Exactly. It's the best response to get rid of resolve quickly."

"That's disgusting."

Raina tilted her head. "We're in a place where they force us to live like dogs in a kennel, then fight in the same way. If you know any part of this that isn't disgusting, please, let me know."

Lincoln eyed her warily. "Skye hated you, you know. Said you tortured Coulson and were responsible for the death of a lot of people."

"That's all true. Regrettably."

"So you're not holding out on us? You really haven't had any visions, seen a way out of here?" Lincoln asked, his eyes narrowing with scrutiny.

"No. They block my powers just as they do yours, only they don't allow me them back even when I fight in the ring. Though I suppose I should be grateful to them for that, as I get very distracted when I'm having them…"

"You haven't had any visions in months?" Lincoln asked. "Since you've been here?"

Raina bristled. "No."

"You hesitated."

"Well what do you expect, Lincoln? You're interrogating me!"

"Raina," Lincoln said softly. "What did you see?" Her eyes glanced up timidly. His brow furrowed. "What did they  _make_ you see?"

"Your location. Where you and Skye would be," she told him, obviously ashamed of the admission. "Someone else knew about you and was aware that I could be used to find you. When they realized you were collecting Nuhumans… they delayed your capture."

"That's how they beat us to every meeting," he muttered.

"I'm so sorry, Lincoln." She reached out a hand, but he pulled away. From Skye as well.

"It's not your fault, Raina… but I need a minute. Keep an eye on Skye."

Lincoln stood and hastily walked away. He knew they'd coerced her, probably tortured her, but how many of the people here were captured because she told them exactly where they were? Twenty? Thirty? How many houses had Lincoln and Skye gone to only to find scenes of struggle and abandonment?

At least Skye had been trying to do the _right_  thing when the crystals fell into the ocean.

Lincoln didn't know where to go in this tiny hole. He'd been there three days and had already mapped out what they called a "Courtyard" in his head, not that there was much to it. It took him almost two days to find the TV due to the sheer amount of people that crowded next to it.

There were at least fifty people in here, maybe more, and not enough room that would fit the adequate qualifications for a prison.

He wanted them all out. He needed to get his people out.

Not that all of them were Inhumans. A man named Crusher (they all had their ring names) got his powers trying to become a better boxer. There were a few more as well, but it didn't matter. No one deserved this place.

Lincoln dragged a hand across his hair in frustration. He needed to do something. But what the hell could possibly be productive in this hellhole?

He could get Skye water. He  _should_  get Skye water.

Lincoln went to the edge of the yellow line to beckon one of the guards over when a loud foghorn sounded.

"Alright!" shouted a guard as he paced the threshold. "Boundary's off. Get to your barracks!"

Lincoln rushed back to find Skye in the now swelling crowd. Raina was gently shaking her. The woman had been able to get on the side of the gate with Skye when they took down the defenses in order to allow the gifteds access to the barracks.

"She didn't wake up with the horn?" he asked. Raina shook her head. Lincoln knelt down and tapped Skye's cheek. "Skye. Skye, wake up." Her eyes opened heavily, taking a moment to zone in on his face. "Ok, there you are. You have to get up now."  _They'll hurt you if we take too long,_ he left unsaid.

She nodded sleepily, hulling herself up with no absence of effort. He helped her to her feet.

Raina had already slipped away, not that Lincoln blamed her. She'd been taught the punishments well enough to be wary of them, he'd learned.

Once Skye was standing she separated herself from Lincoln, to his dismay. She didn't look normal.

"So what are the beds like?" she asked him as they caught up with the crowd, her voice still sounding dangerously croaky.

"Like an ironing board, complete with no pillows," he told her truthfully. She still smiled.

"Better than a box."

He hated when she would do that. Downplay horrors. And Skye only did it when they applied to herself, of course.

"But really, the box wasn't so bad…" he heard her mumble.

"Yeah?"

"Mmhm. Four walls… no scenery…"

"Sounds great," he said sarcastically.

"The box… if I were a cat, it could have been nice."

Her words were overlapping each other, slurred together. Lincoln rushed forwards to look at her face.

"Skye?"

"If I fits… I sit…"

Then she collapsed.

"Skye!" He knelt down next to her immediately. "Skye wake up. Wake up, you're ok."

She was not ok. She was dying of thirst, of dehydration, and they wouldn't do anything about it!

A guard walked up to them. "Move, now."

"She fainted, she can't  _move_!"

The guard hesitated. "Why?"

"She needs water."

Another guard headed over and addressed the first, asking what was the matter.

"She was in a Box," the first explained. "She needs water."

Huh. So maybe they weren't pure evil.

"Oh yeah," the other agreed. "I'd hate to have any of the goods croak on my shift."

Or not…

He returned with one of the plastic cups they drank from at all their meals. Lincoln hoisted Skye up, his hand supporting her back as he poured the liquid down her throat.

It took a few moments, but she coughed. She was alive.

Then she started heaving. It wasn't unexpected, given that he'd just forced it down when she wasn't even awake. When she was dying of thirst in the first place.

Anything she'd gotten down came back up and onto the ground.

"Ugh!" exclaimed a guard in disgust.

"Thought you said she needed the water?" asked the other.

"She  _needs_  an IV. She's too dehydrated to keep it down. I know they have equipment here!"

The guards looked to one another. "We take her to Kane, he might decide she's more trouble than she's worth."

"Yeah, and I'm not going to be the one to show him a defect product..."

Lincoln couldn't believe this. "It's  _his_  fault she's like this!"

"Lincoln," Skye's small voice turned his head. Her fingers grazed his hand. "I can keep it down."

He wanted to ask if she was sure, that he'd find Kane himself if he had to and demand the bastard help her. But he didn't want Skye to have to use her voice again. He lifted the cup to her lips.

Very slowly, he helped her with a few more sips of the drink. Once a few minutes passed and the guards were satisfied that they wouldn't have to get their boss involved, they became much more impatient.

"Alright, time to move it. We're late enough as it is."

Lincoln threw a glare to the guard, but kept most of his attention on Skye. "Can you walk?"

"Yeah," she said, proving her salt by standing up herself.

The guards began leading them towards the barracks. They followed dutifully behind, Lincoln keeping an eye on Skye. Miraculously, the small amount of water seemed to help her miles.

She leaned into him. "Stop looking at me. Keep your eyes open for anything that can help us escape," she said, surprisingly. He thought she'd come in close for support with walking. "C'mon Lincoln, that's spy lesson number one, and my observation skills obviously aren't up to par at the moment."

She moved a little faster and Lincoln began trailing behind, her sudden vigor leaving him stunned.

Skye really was a SHIELD agent, through and through.


	8. The Bald Man...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye and Lincoln begin to debrief.

_**Present Day:** _

"Get them some water," Bobbi said, staring at the two Inhumans waiting apprehensively in the briefing room.

"Oh… why did I become errand boy?" Hunter whined.

Seriously?

"Because you're not doing anything," she reasoned.

"Coulson's not doing anything," he said. "And I wanted to hear-"

"Coulson  _needs_ to be here. C'mon, Hunter."

He faltered under her. "Yeah, alright," he muttered, walking out the door.

Bobbi lips became a thin line. Hunter still put up a fight, but honestly, Bobbi thought it was a bit of a show to make it seem like nothing had changed. He'd been all too happy to help her with every little thing since… the Ward incident.

They'd rekindled when she recovered and had a pretty steady relationship going. They even left SHIELD for a while, Hunter went freelance while she got back on her feet. But when Lincoln and Skye disappeared, well, she knew she had to come back.

Bobbi sighed. "You sure this is a good idea? I'm an interrogator, not a therapist."

"But Skye knows that," Coulson said. "If we tried to send someone who would be gentle with them in there, she'd think she wasn't helping to the best of her abilities."

"We already know what happened to them for a month because of Raina. That measure of treatment _alone_  would have been enough to break most people."

"Skye thinks she'll be able to give insight on Kane," Coulson said. "I believe her. And if they're willing…"

"I know. We don't want to find any more Inhumans like the ones we have…"

Coulson nodded.

"Alright." Bobbi tapped her fingers on the window thoughtlessly. "I'm going in."

Lincoln and Skye's gazes snapped to her the moment the door creaked, like frightened animals. Coulson had said they needed someone would wouldn't be gentle with them, but to be perfectly honest, Bobbi thought that was  _exactly_ what they needed.

"Hey, how are you doing?"

Lincoln glanced to Skye, who was giving off a rather annoyed vibe actually. She stared straight at Bobbi, lip jutted out.

"About as expected," Lincoln said.

"Please don't pity us," Skye spat.

Bobbi frowned. "I'm not-"

"Or coddle us," she said spitefully. Bobbi tried not to squirm under the hateful intent behind the words. She didn't, of course, but that  _would_  have been her first reaction.

"I could do with some coddling right now, actually," Lincoln said, attempting to lighten the mood.

"Well… don't do it to me," was all Skye had to say. Her was voice a tad softer, her tone a bit less abrasive. Still decidedly petulant and unhappy.

"Sure thing," Bobbi said. "No coddles, and coddles." She nodded to each person appropriately. "But you guys do know this is a debriefing and not an interrogation, right? Just tell me what you think I need to know and I'll send you in the right direction."

"Want me to start where we left off?" asked Skye.

Bobbi gestured invitingly. "Go for it."

She dove right in. "Well, what's next comes right after one of the more uncomfortable sleeps in my life."


	9. ...and the Fly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye and Lincoln meet a new comrade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I posted two chapters today because the first was so short.

_**Eight Months Ago** _

"We need to talk to these people. I don't care how scary or unfriendly they are."

"Now hang on Skye, just focus on eating for now."

"I'm not a kid, Lincoln."

"But you are stubborn and put others before yourself."

"Says the guy who told me I should have left him to be  _tortured_  to death at Hydra."

He laughed at that, drawing out her smile. "I guess martyrs have to look after each other then.  _Eat."_

Skye rolled her eyes, but she couldn't deny that with every bite she felt herself becoming more and more hinged with reality. She'd been seeing near double since the plucked her from that hole in the wall, and despite how badly the food tasted or how sick it made her feel, she could tell it was rebuilding her strength.

Skye sighed, thinking about the lost strength she couldn't get back. Four days of sitting had served to begin depleting the muscles she'd built and kept up at SHIELD. Could they request a workout to prepare for the fighting pit here? Skye guessed no, if anything they would probably take them back to that training room to practice attacking each other again. And… she'd never do that. That would be settling, accepting what was going on here.

The whole place felt like a demented summer camp. Crappy food in a cafeteria-esque setting, the bunk beds in close quarters, and now Skye needed to make friends with the other kids.

"Why isn't Raina hanging out with us anymore?" Skye asked, carefully drinking more of her precious water. She had spied out the woman in the corner, eating her own food while isolated on a bench.

"She knows we're planning an escape," Lincoln explained. "Raina doesn't want to be anywhere near that in case we're caught."

"Wow," Skye said, shaking her head in disbelief. "They really did a number on her if she doesn't even want to _try_ and get out."

"Yeah, they did," Lincoln said sternly, his eyes cold. "So how about you don't treat it like a joke?"

"I wasn't making  _jokes_ Lincoln, I know how serious this is." Skye blinked. "Are you mad at me or something?"

"No," he said instantly, shaking his head. "But this place can break people Skye. Just because you can be put in a hole for three days and come out virtually unscathed doesn't mean the rest of us can. We're not all SHIELD robots."

" _Whoa,"_  Skye said defensively. "Where is this coming from?"

Lincoln scoffed. "It's just… we wouldn't be in this mess if it weren't for SHIELD. They… they should have known to recover the crystals from the ocean."

"Look, that was  _my_  fault. _I_  pushed them in there. And since when did SHIELD become 'they'? I thought you wanted to be an agent now!"

"Yeah, an agent," he said. He didn't use air quotes or anything, but his tone made it seem as though they'd be appropriate here. "In a secret group of warriors called the Caterpillars made up of a bunch of powered people. You know, maybe if SHIELD didn't try to get one-up on all the people with abilities, try to collect them or tag and make covert teams, they could have just lived peacefully and the world would have been better for it."

Skye didn't understand. Lincoln had been excited to become a SHIELD agent lately. Now he was avoiding so much as looking at her…

"What aren't you telling me?"

Lincoln's gaze flickered to her eyes for a brief moment before he tore them away, only confirming Skye's growing hunch.

He was hiding something.

"Ehem."

Skye and Lincoln's heads turned at the noise: a person clearing their throat in the daintiest way possible.

Who they saw, Skye would describe as anything  _but_  dainty.

The woman before them was small, but the fact that she had green scales covering her body as well as something that resembled  _wings_  made Skye's eyes pop. Large black and red eyeballs took up the majority of her face, and both of her hands were tipped in fierce looking claws.

Oh, and she had a tail. Like a giant lizard.

The fact that this creature was regarding them warily, shyly, seemed strange.

"Do you mind… if I sit here?" she asked hesitantly.

Skye almost forgot to answer. Here she was looking to meet people and a giant lizard lady just walks right up to them!

Ok, she probably needed to stop thinking of her fellow gifteds that way.

"Sure," Lincoln stated, right around the same time as Skye spoke.

"Yeah! Of course," she said with a huff of nervous laughter and a beaming smile. She spared a glance at Lincoln to see him staring at her, cocking a brow. His face was a clear message:  _tone it down._

"Thank you," she said quietly, sitting down and seeming to try and make herself small as she began to eat.

"What's your name?" Skye asked. The girl looked up with surprise.

"Um, Naja."

"Cool. Well, I'm Skye and this is Lincoln." Skye gestured to each of them, Lincoln in turn giving a small wave.

Naja gave them the remnants of a small smile. "You two are new here, aren't you?"

Skye nodded. "Yeah, though you've probably seen Lincoln around more than me, because –"

"That's not how I knew," she said, overtaking Skye's words. "You just seem to have… hope, still."

The SHIELD agents shared a quick glance.

"Do you think that's a bad thing?" Lincoln asked.

"Oh no," she said. "It's actually quite endearing. It just… it will be upsetting to see them break you of it, when you have so much."

"Well, they can beat me until my bones break," said Skye immediately. "Hope is one thing that won't go away."

"Ah," Naja said. "I'm sorry, but that's a little naïve of you to say."

The comment bothered Skye only a bit, before her mind caught up and recognized just exactly what these people must have gone through. Then she felt nothing but pity.

"I've been known to take a few good punches. And bullets, actually…" Skye said, prompting Naja to raise her eyebrows. "Hope is something that doesn't go away as easily as the person with the gun wants to believe."

Lincoln was grinning warmly from the sentiment.

"It's nice you can think that way, but clearly you haven't taken a look around. Most of us lost it early on."

"Well maybe we can bring it back…" Skye mumbled.

"So, are you Inhuman?" Lincoln asked.

"They told me I am Nuhuman."

 _Oh god, one of them,_ Skye thought. _My mistakes. She must have been so confused…_

"So you were changed recently then," Skye assumed.

Naja nodded. "I've been here in this form more than I've been free with it. I'd changed, and was so overwhelmed. I tried to hide… and these people found me after four days. I was so desperate for help… I willingly went with them."

Lincoln put a hand over her clawed reptilian one. "I'm so sorry."

"Thank you… I suppose at least  _here_ I have no reason for people to be scared of how I look."

"There, that's hopeful!" Skye exclaimed, only to realize it was hopeful in most likely the utmost dismal way possible. She cleared her throat. "So uh, you're probably curious about our powers. Well, I can make earthquakes, more or less, and Lincoln's basically Pikachu."

"Pikachu?" Naja asked, bemused.

"I can generate electricity," Lincoln clarified. "She just seems to have never-ending nicknames based on the fact."

"They're  _way_  too easy to come up with," Skye commented playfully, getting a little sad when she realized it was usually Hunter and Mack that thought up nicknames for the two of them. Still, she must have appeared gleeful enough as Naja's face lit up, making it clear they were coaxing her into an increasingly relaxed mood.

"How about you?" Lincoln asked.

"I… well, my ability depends on how I feel, actually. When I feel good, I can camouflage with my surroundings. But when I am nervous… I blink like a beacon."

Skye grimaced. "That must not be the easiest power to deal with around here."

"It isn't. And they try to force me to change it, take away my glowing, or my fear. It only succeeds in causing me pain, though."

"That's horrible," Skye commented. When Lincoln didn't have a response she looked to him, a hard calculated expression taking up his face. "What?"

He warily eyed Naja and then took Skye by the shoulder so they were facing slightly away from the girl.

"A strange creature that glows and miraculously disappears?" he whispered pointedly, like he was reciting it from memory.

Skye took a deep inhale. "Oh no…"

"What?" Naja asked.

Skye felt a renewed sense of responsibility for this girl. Not only had she caused her change, she could have saved her. That was the exact description of the Nuhuman they were after weeks back, only to have determined her a runaway and untraceable.

"We were supposed to find you," Skye explained. "We could have helped you."

"What do you mean?"

Skye wasn't sure she wanted to disclose that they worked for SHIELD to anyone just yet, even a friendly. It was clear the people who ran this place weren't afraid to use brutal means. Skye would rather her not have to hide the information under interrogation.

"When we heard about what the fish oil was doing, we tried to find the Nuhumans so we could help and explain to them what was going on." She sighed, gaining a sudden interest at a spot on the table. "Most of the time, they were gone before we even had the chance to talk to them…"

When Skye picked her head back up, she saw Naja's clearly horrified face.

"We can't even express how sorry we are," Lincoln told her, surprised by her reaction.

"You two… you two are the ones who were finding us?"

"I mean, 'failing' might be a more accurate term," Skye mumbled. "But, yeah."

"You are the reason most of us are here!" she exclaimed.

"What? No! I mean we should have been able to stop it, but, we would never bring you here intentiona- Wait, Naja!"

The lizard woman was already halfway across the Courtyard. Skye stood up from the table, only to be caught by Lincoln's hand.

"Hey!"

"Skye, let her go."

"No, we can't just let her think-"

"She's right, Skye."

Skye stopped struggling. "What do you mean?"

"They had Raina track us. Know where we were going to be so they could take the Nuhumans before we even got there," he told her harshly, letting go of her arm. "If we… if  _SHIELD_ hadn't been so hell-bent on trying to make a team, these people would be fine."

Skye searched his face. "Are you kidding? SHIELD was trying to help them! And Raina sold them out. Over and  _over…"_

Skye was suddenly lost in anger. She stomped across the Courtyard and could barely sense Lincoln on her heels through her abruptly blinding rage. Only one person mattered right now.

The situation gave Skye a strange sense of deja-vu.

"Raina!" she shouted, once she got over to the quilled person cowering in the corner.

That's what she was. A coward.

Skye marched forward in strides until she grabbed Raina by the collar and hauled her off the bench.

"You're pretending to be all high and mighty, when you've been doing these peoples' dirty work the entire time!"

"Skye, I-"

"No, shut up!" Skye shrieked, silencing her. "You think you can just bullshit your way out of everything.  _'After this we'll never speak again.'_ You knew you were going to survive, didn't you? But everyone hated you, and you wanted to leave us thinking you were a hero, when all of it was just a giant game of pretend!"

Tears started pouring out of Raina's golden eyes. "I'm so sorry… I couldn't-"

"Oh, now we're manipulating with crying, huh?"

Skye was vaguely aware of the small crowd that had circled around them, like kids egging on a fight in high school. Lincoln cut through the assembly, his hands on Skye's and whipping them away from Raina.

"That's enough, Skye," he said, prowling in front of Raina defensively.

"Oh, you're gonna take her side?"

"It wasn't her fault."

"She gave them up!"

"She was tortured! It's not normal to expect anything of people when they go through pain like that."

"There are dozens of people here because of her!"

"I could say the same thing about you."

She snorted. "Oh right, all this time you telling me I shouldn't blame myself… now here it comes."

He shook his head. "You don't get it!  _Neither_  of you need to be blamed."

"She's a liar!" Skye fumed.

"Just stand down."

"You don't have authority over me, Lincoln," she spat.

"And you're not a higher rank than me here. This isn't the base."

"But  _you_  still know you can't take me," Skye said, raising her arms into her fighting stance.

"C'mon, Skye…"

"Just let me through!"

Lincoln brought his own arms up, completely aware he was nowhere near as experienced as Skye. "Not a chance."

The crowd around them was cheering now, their voices loud and excited. Entertainment was hard to come by here, but Skye and Lincoln were offering it up on a silver platter.

Skye's face softened. What the hell was she doing? Was she really going to  _attack_ Lincoln just to get to Raina to  _attack_  her?

Her arms began drifting toward the ground as an  _'I'm sorry'_  gathered in her throat, when the crowds' hollers were overtaken by the booming PA system.

"This round's winner: Flint! The next challenger is –"

"Quake."

The room stilled like someone had muted the place. Skye had never heard it so quiet. She turned around in confusion.

Kane was cutting through the crowd, every person ducking or cowering out of the way as he came. It had her near shaking with rage, the power he had over these people.

And he was coming straight for her.

Despite their fresh fight, Skye felt Lincoln's presence just behind her. It made her feel stronger knowing she still had backup.

"Who now?" Skye demanded, though she was fairly certain she already knew.

"Why, it's you," he told her, now only a foot away from her face.

The crowd chanced a few hushed whispers at that.  _"No one's been taken that quickly from a Box to the fights." "No one's been taken that quickly at all!" "They're almost always here at least a week."_

Skye took a small pleasure in at least knowing he saw something in her. Not because she wanted to  _please_  the son of bitch, but so she could be seen as a threat one day when she met the guy with her gloves off.

"You have  _incredible_  seismic abilities," he continued, "and now that I've seen your rage I'm sure you won't lose."

"I wouldn't bet on it."

He smirked. "That's exactly what I'm going to do."

His hand moved towards her chin and she brought her own up to swat it away before it could hit its mark. He gripped her defending hand faster than she would have thought possible, twisting it hard enough for her to cry out. She felt Lincoln try to jump forward but waved him off with her free hand. Handling this much pain was a cinch if she knew it prevented others'.

"So don't lose, or there will be consequences."

He let go of her arm and she fought not to rub at it, to show that he had affected her in any way at all.

But truthfully, she was terrified. She was going out to fight for her life, and this man's endless abyss for eyes did nothing to help relieve her worries.

Guards seem to materialize from Kane's shadow behind him, poking at her with bats and commanding her to move forward. Lincoln tried to come after her, only to be swatted at.

"Skye!"

"It's ok Lincoln, I'll be fine!" she called back. "And I'm sorry… about that."

She had to apologize. Just in case.

Though she couldn't seem to bare the thought of never seeing him again.


	10. The Bear...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fitz and a couple Inhumans have a chat.

_**Present Day** _

"It was like they were breaking mustangs or something. Everyone there was just animals to them," said Lincoln. His voice held a dim hatred, the embers of smothered flame.

"Raina said as much," Bobbi told him.

"God, and  _Raina,"_ Skye scoffed. " _She_ was like an abused puppy. I was… cruel, to her" Skye buried her head in her hands. "It was all screwed up."

Tears manifested from fury and sadness, making it clear Skye was getting a little off track. A little too emotional.

"I heard you mention a Naja?" Bobbi prompted.

"Yeah..." Skye said, hesitantly. Like she was daring to hope.

"She's here, with Raina and a few other gifteds."

"Really?" asked Lincoln. "How many have you found?"

"Just eleven," Bobbi said regrettably. "Raina's told us there were a lot more."

"Tons," Skye scoffed, her hope squashed like a bug under a boot.

"Their chips are making it difficult for the visions to find them, but some have managed to deactivate them…"

Lincoln's hands balled into fists, so subtly Bobbi nearly didn't catch it. Nearly.

Skye rubbed his fingers apart. "We'll find them. We'll be better and find them for real this time, for  _their_  safety," she promised.

Fitz watched from the window. The way Skye touched Lincoln, the way she felt him for pure comfort. Then he saw how Lincoln tried not to do the same, attempted to resist, but found himself hanging off of her for support as well.

It was like when Fitz had first been hurt. When he'd needed Jemma, and she hadn't been there. Though, he'd realized, she'd left for his own good. He'd been using her comfort to feed his self-pity. Skye and Lincoln, they seemed to be supplying feasts for one another.

It was good for now. But… they shouldn't stay isolated like that.

He walked towards the door.

"Fitz?" Jemma called. "Don't you want to hear about…"

She trailed off, for clear enough reasons. No one  _wanted_ to hear about what they were saying. About his friends fighting? About what those people made them do? No, he certainly did not need to hear about it.

Frankly, he had questions of his own.

He didn't answer Simmons and went over to the lab. Predictably, Raina and Naja were hanging around.

"Hello Fitz!" Naja greeted enthusiastically, near rushing up to him.

"Hey," he said.

When Naja had first arrived, he and Simmons had been quite taken by her appearance. She and Raina were the first two Inhumans they'd seen with outward bodily changes, and it intrigued the scientists.

Naja had since seemed equally interested with him as well.

Which could be fine, even with her being a scaled creature, if Jemma and him weren't… trying something.

Things had been so chaotic and emotional after what had happened to Simmons as well as the kidnapping so they were a mess. But something was going on.

Not today though. Skye, Lincoln…. They didn't need to know about relationship issues.

"Have you had any visions today, Raina?" Fitz asked. Naja was slightly put out from the attention not being directed at her, evidenced by her pouty lip.

She sighed. "I haven't. It's getting harder and… the more I try, the more painful it is."

"You have to keep trying."

"I know," she said, eyeing him skeptically. Her golden eyes widened. "You found them."

"Yes."

"Found who?" asked Naja, slightly petulant. Like she was being kept out of the loop. She was barely more than a teenager, after all.

"Skye and Lincoln," Raina said. "Their main concern."

"You found them? But… I thought he still-"

"They're here, and that's what matters," Fitz said. "What also matters is that in less than a day, they've been able to give us double the information that any of you gifteds have put together!"

Raina and Naja both curled inward. Naja even began to emit a soft glow.

"We were… scared," she admitted.

"Scared-" Fitz scoffed. "Plenty of…  _plenty_  of them out there are scared!" he shouted. "And you two should know that! You've been where they are."

"If we told you anything,  _he_  could have known," Raina pleaded.

"And here you were pretending to help us…" Fitz said incredulously, pacing with his hands on his hips. "What Skye said about you faking your death to act the hero is starting to sound rather likely."

"No!" Raina shouted. "I wanted to help find the Inhumans. I didn't want you to find… him."

"But that's where Skye and Lincoln have been this whole time!"

Raina's looked to the side. "I know," she said in a small voice. "But I was not aware of his location until a few days ago, I swear!"

"Yeah, bugger off," Fitz said, adding a wave of dismissal. "Every extra moment they were in that place, being tortured or fighting or whatever the hell happened for  _seven extra months_  is on you."

"Fitz…" Naja started.

"Oh don't 'Fitz' me!" he said. "It's on you as well. And if either of you have a decent bone left in your bodies, maybe you'll try to see if you can help."

"How can we help?" Naja asked.

"Oh, I don't know," he said sardonically. "Maybe actually  _talk_  for once."

Raina scowled. "You're acting like we went through  _nothing,"_ she spat.

"Of course you went through something. You went through something seven months ago for half the time they've been gone. Now it's time to help."

"I'll try," Naja said quietly.

"Fine then," Leo hissed, beginning to walk away.

"Fitz," said Raina.

He stopped. "What?"

"They won't go through what you did," she promised. "They won't be alone."

He stayed quiet, for a moment. "You've seen it?"

"I just know it," she said. "They've changed, but they won't be alone," she repeated. "Even if they try not to take your help, you people all always so determined to give it. Eventually, they'll accept it."

"Good," he said, walking away without so much as turning around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you emilia_kaisa and thesheepofdestiny for commenting!


	11. ...and the Two Travelers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye goes to the fights.

_**Eight Months Ago** _

There was an hour allowed for betting before the fight.

It was her first match so apparently the people were more frenzied and confused at whom to place their faith in. Not that Skye saw any of that.

No, she had to be prepped.

As much as this whole operation reminded her of dogfights, it was more akin to  _The Hunger Games_ when it came to outward appearances. First thing they did was feed her more, aware that she was weak from her days in that rat hole. She wasn't able to force much of it down.

Then she was poked and pulled at as people brushed her hair and removed her prison-like jumpsuit. They were all women working on her, so apparently this place was old fashioned in their styling techniques. Though she doubted this was to preserve decency, given the state she'd woken up in when first arriving…

They put makeup on Skye, but it wasn't flamboyant. All flesh tones. She wasn't entirely sure why.

Then they gave her a different jumpsuit, which was nicer. Black, sleek. It would have reminded Skye of her own suit from SHIELD if it didn't feel so incredibly foreign once she got it on. Her comforting hood was not there.

"I can't use my powers with these gloves on," she pointed out to a woman who was zipping up the back of her suit as she presented her hands covered hands in explanation.

And was completely ignored.

"Hey!"

"The inhibitors will deactivate when you walk into the pit," another woman, the one who had done her hair, informed her as she passed by. Before Skye could ask any more questions, she was gone.

Throughout all this guards shadowed her. And walls. No matter how much she tried to observe, tried to plan, this place seemed impenetrable. Her original plan was bide her time, something would pop up. There had to have been a crack in the armor somewhere.

But now she very well might be walking to her death sentence.

The guards always made her walk ahead of them for the mere purpose of shoving her to move and poking at her with their bats to keep up the pace. She got a lot of jabs as she neared the gate, her body automatically tensing to a stop.

The push of a button lifted up cage bars that apparently made a door and she was shoved inside, the gate closing behind her. In front of her were more bars, but a solid door as well covered those.

Then she waited in her small room like a racehorse at the gate. Waiting for them to open the doors and for her to face… something.

_Someone. Just like you, Skye. They're just a gifted person who's been abused. No matter what they try to do, you can't hurt them._

The crowds outside were loud. How many people came to watch others fight to the death, if it even went that far? Did someone die every time? Skye was inexperienced to such a degree here that she had no idea. Lincoln had been so focused on making sure she got something in her stomach it let her believe she could prolong her observations, her intel gathering.

And now she might die for it. Great.

The announcer was muffled from inside her little gate, but she heard them saying something. Introductions, maybe.

The voice got louder, and she knew she heard the name "Crusher." Ah, so that's who her opponent was… not that it helped. She didn't know who they were or what their power was.

Cheers increased in volume after that and Skye figured he'd been let into the ring. She'd be next.

Skye felt her heart thud in her chest and gripped her hands into fists until her knuckles turned white. She had to stay focused. Not scared.

The word "Quake" reverberated through the stadium, Skye's new moniker. She preferred Mack's nickname for her: Tremors. It felt safer.

She certainly didn't feel safe now.

The door in front of the bars opened with the metal trailing just after it and Skye had to shield her eyes from the light that poured in.

"Go on! Move it girly!" a guard shouted behind her, and not a moment later she felt a fierce pinching at her back. Two of the men in black were prodding her with long sticks. Not the bats, apparently something made for the purpose of coaxing the contestants into the arena. Like a lion at the circus.

Skye moved away from the thrusting rods, backing into the arena just like they wanted. The door shut immediately in her face, a thud that seemed to scream desolation into her core. She couldn't even relish the freeing sensation of the inhibitors on her arms shutting down. She was too damn scared.

Because right now she wasn't Skye the SHIELD agent, she wasn't brave. She was that little girl at the orphanage on the night of the return, crying tears in her bedroom for families that didn't care if she shed them. When she'd been small and insignificant, humiliated and crushed, and she hadn't thought she could make it one more night in this life.

But she had.

And she would once again.

Skye picked up her head from how it had fallen into a droop. If she didn't fight for her life, no one would. It didn't matter that there was an audience, that she was constantly being degraded. This was the same as any captive situation:

Stay alive. Save the many.

Skye spun around to face her attacker and nearly gasped.

_Crusher._

Carl 'Crusher' Creel. The absorbing man, he was right in front of her! And how he'd gotten there… she hadn't an idea in hell.

The guy was no friend to her, but Hydra's brainwashing had been the key to his undoing. Maybe he wasn't bad underneath it all. Maybe she could get through to him.

God he was huge. And jacked.

Skye took in her surroundings within a few moments: circle arena, dirt floor, lights too bright to tell just how big the crowd was.

But she could make out Kane. He was in his own box, staring down with pure excitement glistening on his features.

Though there was no net or anything to separate them. Skye wondered if it was like the yellow line back in the Courtyard; their chips would activate if they crossed the threshold without permission.

Skye looked to Creel once again. He was sizing her up from across the room, his eyes squinted. He probably had no clue what her powers were, and based on looks alone, she wasn't much of a threat. He seemed skeptical though.

A man with a microphone stepped onto a platform that seemed raised above most of the crowd.

"There will be no time limit!" he shouted. "The fight will last to the death."

Skye saw a large clock in the corner on a board, like one you'd find at a sports game. It had four minutes on the timer.

Then it blinked off.

So that was how this worked. You had four minutes to try and kill each other or you both make it out.

 _Or_ , one of you had to kill the other. And that seemed to be the unfortunate instance she was in.

Skye didn't want to kill anyone… she also didn't want to die though.

What the hell could she do?

"Begin!" the referee stated, waving his hand as though this were just some wrestling match.

Creel ran forward instantly and Skye reacted in defense just as fast. She thrust her hand in front of herself and with it came a wave of energy that blasted him farther back than he had ran in the first place, smacking him hard into the wall. The crowds roared against him.

Skye put her hands up in a subduing gesture. "Now, listen. If we don't attack neither of us has to get hurt. We can both walk out of here unscathed!"

Unfortunately, Creel didn't seem to be paying attention to her incredibly valid points. He was touching something on his ear. An earring.

Then he morphed to solid metal.

"Oh c'mon…" Skye mumbled. "That  _has_  to be cheating."

He charged again.

Skye repeated her move, but as the energy hit the metal man he braced against it by putting a hand to the ground. The force stopped him in his tracks, but did nothing to push him farther back from her.

Skye swallowed nervously. "Ok, awesome."

He ran again, and this time when she pulsed her abilities he had such a charge going it did absolutely nothing to deter his steel body.

Skye readied herself.

He swung a punch at her head and she moved, countering with two quick jabs herself.

Skye was nearly reduced to tears as her knuckles made contact.

New plan: distract and evade.

She ducked away from him as he tried to land to more blows, scampering away as fast she could. Once he caught up to her again, she dove under his swing with a somersault, easily rolling back onto her feet.

The crowd began to become upset. Booed at her. Soon enough they were throwing their concessions at the ring, making Skye realize that there was a laser grid in place that separated them. Of course there was, or their powers could easily make it through. That couldn't be good for business.

Apparently, it also wasn't good for business when one of the fighters didn't fight.

"Ow!" Skye exclaimed suddenly, placing a hand to her head. It felt like a jolt had just gone through it. She squeaked again at a second buzz.

Skye saw Kane glaring down at her, daggers pointed directly from his stare to her heart. Skye eyed him defiantly.

But doing so had taken away her focus.

Next thing she knew she was pinned up against the wall, a cold hard hand around her neck and cheering to egg her assaulter on. He pulled her away only to bring her smashing back down with a cry, and Skye was seeing stars.

Then she was released.

Her body on autopilot, her hand was directed at him, shaking him, from the inside. Her powers couldn't push him when he was so dense, but nothing could stop her from shaking his heart until it burst from his chest.

He was on the ground, gripping his head. Clawing for something. Anything to help him.

Skye might have been the only person in this place willing to help herself, but that didn't mean he had to be in the same boat.

"No," she whispered, and a moment later her hand dropped to her side as a dead weight. Creel's body followed suit. Skye stared directly at Kane, but spoke loud enough for the entire crowd. "I won't do it!"

Another jolt zapped through her head, and Skye nearly broke out in hysterical laughter.

"You can use that thing as much as you want.  _Fry_  my brain for all I care," she hissed. Then her voice lowered, her words drawling out slow in a growl. "I will not hurt  _anyone_  else."

The pressure on Skye's head increased, staying on longer than it had at any other time he'd used it. She had to fight to keep her eyes open. But she did, staring at Kane as he seethed back.

Her eyes flickered away, just for a moment, just to one other spot in the crowd. Because something,  _someone_ , had caught her eye.

Skye could have stopped breathing.

Why was he here? Why was  _he_  here? Out of all the people to see in this blinding pit, out of all the people she could have wished never to see her in such a state, that black-hearted devil was  _here_?

Grant Ward.

Skye could have killed him. She wanted to. What was he doing, watching human fights to the death? Where'd he get a damn invitation?

Skye became lost in anger. For as disgusting as she felt participating in anything here, she couldn't bear the thought that Ward had been watching her throughout it all.

Because, who knew? Maybe he was one of the faceless guards that kept an eye on them. They always had those freaking masks on. Maybe there was a security camera room where he'd been spying on and laughing at her from.

Clouded by rage, Skye began sending blow after blow at the force field in his direction. She was near biting her lip off, grinding down in pain and anger. The crowd was in obvious upset by the behavior because they thought she might get through. Kane waved his hand placidly though, clearly convinced the security measures they had in place were enough to contain her.

Ward cocked his head, appraising her curiously. Then he smiled.

Then he freaking waved.

A taunting little twirl of the fingers, just for her.

She could have strangled him.

 _Could_  have, because he was twenty feet away behind a power-proof force field.

Or  _could_  have because she was being pinned down by Crusher Creel a moment after she had the thought.

Hand around her throat once more he was burying her into her ground. She tried to gasp for air, pry his fingers away, but she didn't think she could do that to this man even when he weren't made of metal.

And she refused to kill him.

"I'm sorry kid," he whispered, sounding truthful. "It's me or you."

Skye probably could have cried if she weren't so distracted by the pain. Because apparently this was it. This was how she was going to die.

He pushed his wrist up, digging her head into the ground impossibly harder as spots began filling her vision.

Then a foghorn sounded, loud enough that it pierced her ears through hazy consciousness.

"The match has been called. All contestants, retreat to your original positions if capable!"

The voice was muffled and Skye wasn't even entirely sure what it meant, but if it meant she was supposed to move somewhere that  _so_ wasn't happening.

What was happening was her coughing, sputtering, trying to catch all the air that had been denied her in the passed few seconds as she was being strangled.

As it returned, some made its way into her brain, reminding her that she wasn't, in fact, dead or in the process of dying any longer. She flipped over onto her back.

Kane was gone. His box abandoned and now overflowing with what seemed to be angry customers, shoving and shouting.

Then there was Ward. Standing completely still amid the chaos, his expression no longer cocky or taunting. More like… impressed?

Proud?

God,  _that_ was sickening.

Then he just… walked away. Like he hadn't witnessed her near death.

Skye didn't have much time to dwell. Her brain was being sent small waves of pain and she was being yelled at. Creel was already out his door and Skye was being hounded to do the same. Hoping it would end the pain in her head she scampered to her door, which closed immediately behind her, the gate opening before her as her gloves turned on once again.

She was pulled out by a guard who kept a hand gripped on her shoulder as he ushered her through the halls. She was still woozy, but tried to keep a mental map charting. They shoved her inside a room.

And decked her across the face.

She fell to the ground only a moment before a shock ripped through her stomach, the electric batons the men carry blasting into her.

She was heaving gulps of air and clutching her belly when Kane finally stormed up to her. Stormed being an all-too perfect word; he looked wild and violent and ready to cause damage.

"You think you're a funny girl," he said, wagging a finger at her and smiling almost hysterically. "You think you can come here and change how my fights are run, turn the tides on  _my_  game!" he shrieked. "I had to give a complete refund for sparing you."

Skye spat blood from her mouth. "Should have let me die, then…"

Kane waved her off. "Too valuable. And death by refusing to fight? Not what the people pay to see. You were  _supposed_  to destroy the boxer for good."

"I'm not a murderer," she said, picking herself up so she was sitting.

"Not yet, maybe," he told her somewhat ominously. "I hoped you'd be smarter than this when I told you there'd be consequences. Are you ready to pay the piper?"

Skye paled. She thought she was already feeling consequences. She'd nearly been killed, punched in the face, shocked and had pain impulses rushed into her head by some doohickey. What the hell more could they do to her?

Unfortunately, she was a about to find out.

Kane snapped his fingers and not a moment later Lincoln was dumped into the room.

Dumped. Not shoved or thrown but dumped, landing sprawled on the floor covered in blood.

"No!" Skye screeched, tears dewing instantly as she started forward. A guard grabbed her shoulders to still her. "What did you do to him?"

"Hmm, I suppose I could have just as easily used pain impulses with his chip, but then of course you wouldn't be able to  _visualize_ your punishment." He paused. "And by that, I mean see the blood."

"He didn't do anything," Skye growled, staring at Lincoln's moaning and limp body.

"No,  _you_  did. And others will pay so long as it's your motivation over yourself." Kane trailed a finger across Lincoln's face and he found the strength to look up at him with contempt. "I would have hurt him more, actually. But I want him ready to go out in the next few days. His powers are impressive as well."

"You're sick, you  _bastard_."

They hit him at Skye's words. Her hands rushed to cover her mouth in shock, and she just… crumbled.

Any amount of defiance she'd had was an illusion. They'd just keep hurting him. They'd hurt her. They'd beat them until there was nothing left but broken resolves and a bloody pulp.

"Five minutes," Kane told a guard and swept unceremoniously away. Skye could have asked what he meant, but didn't want to risk Lincoln's safety.

He began screaming anyway.

Yet he wasn't attacked, he wasn't being shocked by the batons… but he was clutching his head for dear life.

They'd turned on the chip. They had turned on the  _damned_ chip and were torturing him.

Skye tried to go to him but the guard pinned her down on her stomach, holding her hair up so her eyes were forced to see ahead. She stared with a wordless horror, frantic that speaking would cause him more pain by their handlers.

"I hope you remember this," Kane said at the doorway. Skye had to drag her opened mouthed face to look at him. "The quicker you learn this lesson the easier things will become for you both."

He swept through the door then, his guards following in his wake with the last one being the man holding her down. He shut the door, leaving Skye to scramble to her feet only to slide back on to her knees next to Lincoln.

She gathered his shaking and grunting form in her arms.

"Hey hey, it's ok. You're gonna be ok, I promise." She petted his hair back over and over, clutched him tight. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know how to help him. God, he was whimpering…

And bleeding. There was actually a good amount of blood. They said they wanted him around for the fights, but what if they miscalculated?

Skye tried to lay him down off of her lap as softly as she could, as gently as possible for someone who was convulsing in pain, and ran to the door.

She furiously pulled at the locked handle. "Come back! He needs medical!" she shouted, pounding on the metal like a desperate child. "Please! Please help him!"

No one was coming. No one would help. Whether Lincoln was dying or merely suffering, it was Skye's punishment to watch him go through it alone. All she could do was hold him tender and tight, whispering hopeful reassurances Skye knew were lies before they ever left her lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor babies :(


	12. The Horse...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Talk of Ward makes for some interesting conversation between Skye and Bobbi.

_**Present Day**_ :

Bobbi was stunned on more than one account.

She'd figured she'd be getting some new information about Skye's fight with Creel considering Raina and the other Inhumans hadn't been around for that, even though they were aware of it happening.

But Ward? What they'd done to Lincoln?

And more importantly,  _Ward?_

Ok, it certainly wasn't more importantly but Bobbi did not like the idea that Ward had been there  _watching_  them. As a sick audience member, by the way Skye described it.

Though she wasn't sure why she expected anything less. Bobbi'd had first hand experience of how cruel he could be...

Her fingers still hurt sometimes.

Which brought her to the next point: Lincoln. Clearly his physical scars had faded, but this had been… what, a few days into them being at this place? It could have gotten  _so_  much worse. It most likely had. They both had visible cuts and scrapes and Lincoln had a considerably swollen ankle. How often had they been mistreated?

Bobbi stopped her thoughts as she corrected herself in her mind, because she might as well call it what it was.

How often had they been  _tortured_?

Bobbi herself had been tortured on more than one occasion with varying degrees and methods. It wasn't something she exactly liked to dwell on. But being in Ward's possession? Those had to be the worst moments of her life.

He'd pegged her right… fearing for Hunter. Suffering by being the cause of someone else's death. Hell, her avoiding it had nearly caused her own.

It was exactly what these people had done to her friends.  _Punishing_  Skye by hurting Lincoln.

But Bobbi... she'd quit. Right away. While right in front of her were Lincoln and Skye, fighting through it to tell them the information. Of course, she'd already answered all of Dr. Garner's questions when she was under the influence of painkillers and if there had been information at stake, she believed she would have debriefed.

It made her wonder what Skye and Lincoln would do when all this was over. Though by the looks of it, they seemed to want to find more of those Inhumans.

The people in front of her seemed shaken by the subject of Lincoln's pain, keen to move on as they fidgeted and awaited a new question.

But Bobbi found that she couldn't stop thinking of them… what had happened. What tortures they'd undergone. Skye looked the most changed on a surface level, but Lincoln had been through just as much by the sound of it so far. He could be in shock, or hiding his paranoia beneath the skin.

Morse swallowed. "How about we take a break?"

Skye leaned back in the chair and scowled. "I don't need a break. Lincoln?"

"Yeah…" he said hesitantly, "it's not necessary."

"Well it kind of is," Bobbi said, with a little more sass than she'd have preferred. "We've been going for over an hour already and small recesses are needed with debriefings in order to keep information flowing."

" _Not_  when we're in a hurry," Skye insisted. "Which we are."

"Just five minutes, ok?"

"I told you not to coddle us!"

"I'm not!" she shrieked. " _I_ need to step out, ok Skye? I'm not babying you or whatever the hell you think this is!"

Skye looked shocked at that.

But so was Bobbi.

She was trained at this. Interrogation. Keeping her cool, reading people,manipulating what came next. Hell, she was basically the best in the business. Yet here she was explaining how  _she_  needed a break?

That just wasn't… her.

"Ok," Skye said in a small voice.

Bobbi looked down at her folded hands. Avoiding eye contact; another thing that was distinctly not herself. "I'm sorry."

Skye shrugged. "Whatever. But if we're going to take a break, I'd like to speak with Ward."

"What?" Bobbi asked, hiding half the incredulity she was feeling.

"I know he's here," she said in an accusatory voice. "I asked Coulson where he was when I was up in his office. He said I shouldn't see him yet… but you understand, don't you? I mean, you've seen him. You know, since… your incident."

Bobbi almost couldn't speak. "I didn't  _want_ to see him. He had intel we needed to get to you. I had to."

It was true enough. About three months into their disappearance Ward started pestering SHIELD about knowing things involving Skye and Lincoln, their disappearance. After realizing they couldn't find the man without giving him a significant show of dedication, they ignored him as they merely suspected a scheme. But soon after they were desperate, forced to look into it, and use him.

He'd never once mentioned he'd paid them a  _visit._

"Well whoop-de-doo for you!" Skye exclaimed derisively. "But guess what? I want to. I want to hear what the guy has to say… how he's gonna  _defend_ and make excuses for all the damn-"

Coulson and May burst through the door.

"I think… we may be getting a little off track," said Coulson, staring at the stunned agents. Lincoln sat at the table quietly, staring at his hands as though in a trance.

"I want to see Ward," Skye stated.

"Yeah, think I'm getting that," Coulson mumbled. "But like you said, we need to get ahead on this. So speaking with Ward will come later. First, I'm sure Raina or Naja would like to hear from you. Maybe you guys can put some pieces to this puzzle together."

Skye hesitated only a moment before nodding, albeit begrudgingly.

"We'll start up again in a couple minutes. Morse? Why don't you go find Hunter… I think he got lost getting them water."

Bobbi cocked her head. "You're pulling me off of this, aren't you?"

"How about we discuss this elsewhere," Coulson suggested as he gestured out the door. Bobbi shook her head.

"I'm fine here," she said. An awkward response for her. She liked laying out her emotions less than she enjoyed airing out her dirty laundry.

"Alright then. Yes, I'm pulling you out."

" _Why?"_

"Don't you think it's just a little close to home?"

Bobbi barely registered May seemingly guiding Lincoln out of the room from the corner of her eye, suddenly feeling furious.

"What? I'm fine! I'm not damaged, not like-"

Her hand was in the air. She was pointing, almost unknowingly.

At Skye and Lincoln.

"Oh my god," Skye said, stepping forward as May hurried Lincoln out of the door completely. "Were you about to say 'like them'? Like  _us?"_  she motioned between herself and where Lincoln had just been standing.

Bobbi's mouth hung unhinged. "No Skye, I…"

"What the hell?" Skye screeched. "You were  _so_  damaged! You were broken and useless, a freaking bundle of limbs when you came back that day. Then you had the nerve to quit on us after helping you recover, you damn hypocrite!"

Bobbi recoiled. She'd never been hurt so much by words, mainly because she herself used them as a weapon. She was aware of how they could manipulate and deceive so that they pricked you in all the wrong places.

But  _that_  happened to be true, and the impact had made her jerk as though she'd been hit.

Unknowing of how to respond she merely hurried to exit the room, only verifying Skye's words to be true as she took the out once again.


	13. ...and Groom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye waits for them to return Lincoln and finds out about an interesting aftermath for the fighters of the day.

** _Eight Months Ago_ **

It was about two minutes before the door finally opened that Lincoln passed out.

But Skye had just about cracked already.

Three guards had to pull Lincoln's unconscious body off of Skye; all the while her frantically exclaiming that he was dying and trying to keep hold of him just to be sure she could feel a pulse. But they pried her off.

They were taking him away? Where? She had to be with him!

So she chased.

She hurried to follow them out the door only to be blocked by a formidable obstacle in the threshold.

Kane stared down at her and Skye's entire being stilled. His cocked brow seemed to silently say "are you really going to try this again? Are you going to be the cause of your friend's pain  _again_?"

And Skye realized what her answer had to be: no. Of  _course_  not. They could be taking Lincoln to medical or to a grave, and given the ripple effect her actions seemed to have, it probably depended on whether she decided to shoot her mouth off or not.

Kane didn't say a thing to her. Not one word. He just allowed his mere presence to render her speechless, then left her to the mercy of the guards.

All they did was take her to the showers, somewhere she'd never been before. Set out more of the plain white uniforms all the gifteds wore for when she got out. After the experience they escorted her back to the Courtyard. The entire process was pretty much the smoothest anything had gone since she'd been there, all because she didn't fight.

She didn't even speak. Though she probably wouldn't have done so anyhow due to fear of what might become of Lincoln, Skye honestly just felt numb. Only emotionally, because physically she was in a fair amount of pain. The shower's hot water had shown a light on every single cut she'd acquired. Plus, the short time alone with her thoughts had her noticing how her eye was slowly beginning to swell shut as well as the bruises blooming on her neck. There were already visible discolorations on her stomach.

What was the point of some 'no-damaging chip' in their brains if these people were going to rip them to pieces anyway?

Back in the Courtyard she was met with the usual thugs, claiming their seats and rights and just trying to pick fights. She walked away lifelessly, letting them have whatever it was they were wrongfully demanding was their property.

Raina seemed to be at the polar opposite end of the square from wherever Skye was, though the agent couldn't exactly blame her. Skye'd appeared about to kill her last time she confronted her.

So other than the occasional bully, Skye was left alone to her thoughts. Considering dwelling on Lincoln would do her no good (though he popped into her mind every other second anyway) she tried to move onto other things. More curious things.

Like what the hell Grant Ward had been doing in the audience.

He had been there to see her suffer, Skye just knew it. He wasn't there by coincidence. He knew she'd be in that ring, and whether she was being pummeled into the ground or just forced into hurting someone else he knew she'd be in hell. And he was reveling in it.

Sick,  _sick_  man...

It crossed her mind that his Hydra contacts could have helped him get in there, or perhaps he was there by Coulson's orders again. But that had been a vain attempt by her mind to hope.

Because Coulson wouldn't do that again, right? He'd had to have learned… after what Ward did to Bobbi. Clearly the man got off on causing pain.

Bobbi… honestly, the girl was worse off than anyone  _here_ seemed to be. Not only had she been minced to a pulp but her leg had been broken, and physical therapy while the rest of your body was still healing made it that much harder. She'd have been off the mandate for weeks, had she not announced her early retirement. Skye really had no idea what she planned to do.

Maybe now she'd never know.

In any case, Ward had been the cause of all the recent destruction to her life, so for Coulson to bring him on board again would be insane.

But Coulson  _had_ let him help even after the man had brain damaged one of her friends. His agent. So who knew?

Skye had been sitting and staring at the same spot for what felt like days, though realistically it was probably more like an hour, when a reptilian face popped into her vision.

"Naja," Skye acknowledged.

"Hello," she said cautiously, taking a seat. "Where's your friend Lincoln?"

Skye grimaced, shaking her head and trying to hide just how much the question rattled her. "I don't know. They took him away..."

Skye turned her head, cutting herself off before she let her emotions take over.

"They hurt him because you did something wrong, didn't they?"

Skye's face felt as though it were weighed down with lead as she turned towards the girl, eyes full of anguish. She nodded.

"Don't worry, they won't kill him. If they brought him here he's an asset and they wouldn't just let that go. They're trying to scare you."

"Well it's working…" Skye mumbled, bringing her knees under her chin.

Naja pursed her lips together in a sad smile. "I'm sorry your hope had to be lost so quickly. It was honestly like a light in this darkness."

"My hope's not lost," Skye said. "I mean… my hope in humanity is starting to waver, but if Lincoln's alive, we haven't lost anything yet. And I don't intend to start anytime soon."

Naja stared, obviously shocked by Skye's admittance. "Huh. Well, you are tougher than most." She stood. "Goodbye," she said, and started to walk away.

"Wait, where are you going?" Skye asked. It wasn't like she could possibly be late for yoga at four o'clock or something.

"Kane is getting to you through your friends and you still are not giving up?" she asked, skeptically. Incredulously. "I'm sorry, but if that is the case I cannot afford to talk to you."

And just like that, too fast for Skye to even begin another protest, she was gone.

One friend made, two friends lost. Great track record, Skye.

_Lincoln isn't lost, he'll be back._

He had to be.

* * *

Skye was lying in bed when they brought Lincoln to her once again.

(Ok, bed, cot, bunk… horrible uncomfortable piece of plywood, perhaps…)

She watched guards drop him in a bottom bunk carelessly, like he was  _garbage_ , then flit out of the room silently.

Rage pitted in her stomach.

She shot upright and waltzed to where they'd left him, surrounded by sleeping people while he slept as well. Every bed in the area was being occupied. Skye wanted to stay and keep an eye on him, but she couldn't stay out of a cot for very long.

She tapped some boy on the shoulder. "Hey, I need to sleep here."

His eyes widened in shock, emphasizing what seemed to be a few rocks on his cheeks and face. "We're not supposed to be walking around now…"

"Just go take my cot. It'll only be a second."

"But-"

"I said move!" she hissed quietly in eager frustration.

The boy recoiled, scurrying away before Skye could even point him in the right direction.

A pang of guilt settled onto her like dust. She sounded just like the bullies in the Courtyard, picking on people who'd been too abused to properly defend themselves anymore.

Skye shook her head. She wasn't like them, she was just trying to protect her friend.

She crept into the vacated bed to avoid any warning from guards that she was up, and inspected Lincoln's condition.

There were bandages covering some of his arms, but no stitches that were visible. Obviously most of his body was covered in clothes so she couldn't see all the damage but… he seemed ok. Breathing was even.

Skye could have cried from the relief. She suddenly felt compelled to take his hand in hers, though ultimately decided against it. He was asleep, so the comfort of touching only had the chance of bringing unsavory consequences if they were to be seen at the moment.

But she found that, with him by her side, she was able to drift off for a while as well.

* * *

When Skye woke up next, she found that she had already been awake.

Wait...

That didn't really make sense, right?

No. Not really.

It's just… she had  _thought_ she'd been dreaming, but her dreams mixed with reality as a haze settled over her eyes until she finally recognized herself to be in the world of the living, as through her blurred vision she saw the hallways. From her unresponsive body she felt the tugging, the unpermitted dragging of her feet against the ground as an arm wrapped around each of her own. This went on for a little while.

Until she was rudely plopped on the ground.

"Get her up!" she heard Kane's voice hiss the moment she hit the floor. "They'll be here in just a few minutes."

"She's acting weirder than the rest of em…" someone said. "We gave her the same dose."

Skye, though slumped on the ground uselessly and incapable of moving, was able to create a perfect mental image of Kane's face by the frustrated and disgruntled noise that ripped from his mouth.

"She's half the size of them!" he shouted. "I've told you- oh, dear god. Idiots! Out. Out! You're annoying me."

Skye watched the boots flit away from sideways vision. She somehow didn't hear the steps even though those were big, big shoes. Who wears such big shoes? Big boots. When she wore boots on missions they have heels sometimes.

Hey, that's pretty stupid too.

She was pulled from her rather meaningless thoughts as Kane wove harsh fingers through her hair and pulled her up to a kneeling position.

"Stay up," he snarled dangerously. "Don't speak. Keep on your knees unless you're told otherwise," he demanded.

Or… probably demanded. But Skye's brain was working on some sort of reserve, and it wasn't entirely clicking. Processing.

Her expression was blank as a white canvas.

"What?"

He rattled her head. "Behave or your friend gets hurt. Do. You. Get. It?"

"But Lincoln…" He already was hurt. Skye glared into Kane's dark eyes. "You hurt Lincoln."

A guard stepped in. "Sir, they're here."

"I'm not afraid to hurt him more," Kane warned into her ear before releasing her. She fell forward, catching herself with a hand to the ground to try and keep on her unsteady knees.

It was only as Skye was trying to lift herself back up that she realized she was not alone. Creel, Thrash, that kid she'd yelled at…. plus a few more gifteds were kneeling next to her.

They seemed to be having better luck at staying in the position.

"What's going on?" Skye asked. Kinda loudly. Maybe a bit slurred.

"Shut up," Thrash hissed. "Don't wanna piss off Kane in front of his buyers, his temper's much worse."

Skye tilted her head in confusion, but didn't get to voice her question before Kane, trailed by a small group of people, walked in.

"And here's today's fighters. Since we've gotten in such a large new crop recently, we're restarting all season bet packages!"

"Bet packages?" Skye parroted in puzzlement. No one bothered to answer, but she did get  _a lot_  of glares.

Why the heck was everyone so rude?

"Now," Kane continued. "You may buy up to three people. With a down payment you will have an automatic wager on them for all matches and will take in more winnings than the casual bettor. You may also help determine who they will be fighting, as well as whether it shall be a death match or not. But keep in mind, though the stakes are higher, fights to the death have a much nicer payout."

Skye was confused. That just sounded like a great big jumble of information to her. Was this guy selling season tickets for ball games or people?

Of course, the one that seemed the most likely answer felt as though it shouldn't even be in the running.

"Feel free to observe and touch the merchandise. We have them on a small sedative so there should be no resistance, though with their training I don't believe there would be much anyway…"

It felt like way too soon after Kane had finished his sentence that someone had materialized in front of Skye. Some older lady with rainbow colored hair turned Skye's head from side to side, trying to take in a full view before going to observe her inhibitor gloves. A man to the side was lifting Skye's arm. Feeling her muscle?

Skye fought back protests with the threats laid out in front of her. It wasn't too hard to stifle the urge to strike back. Kane was right; the sedatives were keeping her placid.

When their touches were gone Skye glanced at her… acquaintances, for lack of a better term. She wondered if all of them would be bought, or just some.

Kane was seeming to wrap up terms with them when the guard poked his head back into the small room. Huh. It was a pretty tiny room. Skye hadn't noticed…

"Sir, there's someone else here."

"Ah yes, the Hydra representative. See him in."

Skye's stomach dropped. She had a fair idea of who it was going to be.

Ward waltzed in like he was riding some sort of freaking high horse from the way he held his posture. Gazing over everyone's heads like  _he_  was important.

"Ah, yes, come in Director Ward."

Skye scoffed. "Director? Of what? A prison or a mental hospital…"

Kane snapped his fingers and her chip activated. She grimaced, though it didn't hurt so bad… maybe the drugs were muddying it up.

Ward walked directly towards her, his eyes glued as though they weren't permitted to stray anywhere else. Skye shifted uncomfortably. She didn't like being so far beneath him.

"I want this one."

"Yes? Oh wonderful, she's not been called for yet. I'll have you know that nothing like what happened tonight will ever be permitted again. She's already been dealt with. As you can see, she's already relatively acquiescent."

"You're right," he said, cocking his head and allowing his eyes to roam Skye again. "And here I thought she'd be harder to break."

Skye nearly snapped.

She wanted to pounce. Have a real fight with the man that used to be her SO, show him what she'd learned since then until he'd made a crater in the ground from the force of her.

But that was what he wanted. By showing him she wasn't weak, she'd be playing right into his hands because she'd be hurting Lincoln in the process.

Instead she just glared, hoping some piece of his soul was pierced by the sheer amount of hate in her gaze.

"Well, there are still a few kinks to iron out still. Now, if you'll look at our other specimen-"

"No, just her."

"But-"

Ward turned on him.

"Just. Her," he growled, and Kane only looked slightly perturbed. More… annoyed, at Ward's forward attitude. But the tides changed abrupt and fast when Ward smiled, friendly-like. "Unless you have her electric friend up for grabs as well…"

Skye stood fiercely taller on her knees. Her original attempt was to stand, but she quickly found that would not be easy.

"Don't you dare bring Lincoln into this!"

"Hold your tongue, girl!" Kane snarled, but Ward shook his head causally.

"Nah, it's fine. I like her spunk."

Skye's head was moving back and forth in disbelief. " _Why_ are you even here?"

"Well," he started as he crouched down to her level. She raised her chin up high. "I'm the head of Hydra now, so I get an invite to these little gatherings. Plus, I couldn't miss the chance to check up on my old rookie." Ward ruffled her hair like he was some proud Little League coach, Skye batting him away before he'd even mussed it too much. He appraised her, his eyes moving over her bruised one. "Watch out, someone's got a mean right hook."

"Screw you," Skye muttered, her lips close enough to his face that he probably felt her breath. She probably should have asked what the hell he meant by being the head of Hydra, but the thought somehow seemed so far away.

"Don't worry" he said with a smile. "I won't let them put you in any death matches, Skye. Or… should I say Quake?"

Skye bit her lip against retaliating words. Lincoln was still in pieces and letting Grant Ward get in her head was not going to cause Lincoln more pain. Instead, she tried to scan his person. Look for a weapon, maybe grab it…

Oh, hell. Who was she kidding? Without her powers she had almost no chance of beating Ward in the first place, and in a drugged state she'd probably just embarrass herself.

Ward huffed a chuckle, rising to his feet as Kane led him to finish their… business.

"I'll see you soon," he promised her. She watched him walk away as the world tilted and blurred; she was being lifted by her shoulders from the ground once again.

When she and the other gifteds were brought back to the barracks she instantly rushed to Lincoln to see his status. She didn't give a shit about Ward. There were way more important things on her plate in this place.

Lincoln was still unconscious, as were most of the people in there, but he was surrounded by a small group of prisoners plucking and picking at him.

Were they… stealing his bandages?

"Get away!" Skye screamed, flailing her hands as though warding off a flock of birds scavenging through crops. "Beat it! Leave him be."

To her credit, she must have been scary as opposed to crazy looking because they all scampered off, leaving Skye to rush to her injured friend.

"No one, not  _one_  person touches him. Understand?"

She said, or more like ordered, this to everyone around. A few people cowered, some chuckled, but no one challenged her.

That was good enough.

So Skye sat with Lincoln until morning, hoping he'd wake up having had a more restful night sleep than she had.

* * *

So basically, Skye watched Lincoln like a hawk.

It was almost a little scary, seeing such intensity in her eyes. As though daring anyone to try and come say hello to him, because she'd be the one to knock them out if they tried.

So he wasn't feeling quite up to snuff… because that's what being tortured did to you. But they patched him up and it wasn't so bad. It wasn't more than anyone here hadn't already gone through, he presumed.

But Skye acted like he was the damn king of England.

"Skye, you need to calm down," Lincoln said, her eyes fiercely surveying the area over his shoulder as they ate.

When she didn't respond he tried putting a gentle hand over one of hers that was lying on the table. She jumped away, near hopping into the air.

"Jesus Skye, it's ok."

Her eyes snapped to his face. "In what universe is  _anything_  going on here ok?" she exclaimed.

"I… I just meant no ones going to sneak attack you from behind."

As though she'd misinterpreted his words for a warning she took a quick glance behind herself. She shook her head as if trying to dispel a thought. "You don't know. Everyone here is a thug or a coward, so we're dealing with extremes. Who knows what they'll do?"

"You were the one that thought we needed to talk to them," he reminded her.

"Well, I was wrong," she mumbled dismissively. "They'll never help us."

"So, what's the plan?" Lincoln asked. Skye always had something up her sleeve, whether it was backup on a mission gone wrong or a surprise gift for Fitz's birthday.

"Play along. Wait for an opportunity," she said. "I haven't seen one so far but we just have to keep our eyes and ears open."

"That's it?" Lincoln asked. "What if they make us go into the pit?"

"Then we fight," Skye said, her eyes darker than he'd ever seen as they probed deeply into him. "We're both capable, we'll be fine for a good while."

"And if it's to the death?" he inquired. "Your first match was. I don't think it'll take too long before another one pops up."

Skye sighed. "Then you kill them."

"What the hell, Skye!"

"I'm serious Lincoln. It's the only way we'll make it out of here."

"That's murder," he growled at her.

"Well, they almost murdered you!" Skye exclaimed, though trying to keep her voice quiet. Lord knew they didn't want the attention.

"But they didn't, and now that guy is still alive because of you."

"Yeah, a Hydra lackey. I saved a guy I  _shot_  a year ago and you paid the price for it. How valiant."

This was news to Lincoln, but it didn't change how he felt. The man had no say in the matter of being there any more than he or Skye did. What he'd done in the past was a moot point as far as he was concerned.

"Stop it, Skye. We know damn well if they took me to the pit instead of you,  _you'd_  be the one consoling me. You'd have hated it if I killed a person only to keep you safe."

Skye's mouth opened, but closed quickly enough with a scowl. She couldn't deny such a simple truth.

His voice softened. "And you know I wasn't the only one to feel the consequences."

That much wasn't even just a truth, it was a stone-cold fact. The evidence was painted like a picture in front of him, from the necklace of bruises Skye wore to the purple lump that had replaced her right eye.

"So stop treating me like some broken-winged baby bird," he continued, "cause we're in this together. If no one's going to help us we're all we've got, and we have to be partners. Equals. You can't be my guard dog."

After what felt like an hour-long silence, Skye mustered up a smile. A rather pathetic one, but a smile nonetheless.

"Ok," she agreed, nodding her head absentmindedly. With a huff of laughter, something that appeared very close to her  _real_  smile graced Skye's face. "Never knew Pokémon could be so wise."

Despite his last sentence have been dripping of seriousness Lincoln couldn't help it. He laughed too. "You're really sticking with that one, aren't you?"

"What can I say? I like Pikachu. He's tough but cute. Awesome combo."

"Ok, true. Plus it's fitting," Lincoln decided.

Skye's brow furrowed. "Aw, you think you're cute? That's… a little narcissistic."

" _No_. I meant... creatures with powers fighting each other in an arena? Sounds familiar to me."

The smile was erased from Skye's face instantly, and Lincoln could have kicked himself. He didn't mean it to upset her. He tried to say as much, but she waved him off, saying that he'd done no such thing and that her mind had just gotten caught up in the general situation.

(But she still never called him Pikachu or anything related to the Japanese fighters again.)

"Hey… do you see that?" Skye asked.

Lincoln followed her pointed finger to his tray, the food mostly gone from such, but somehow he'd seemed to miss a large portion in the center of his macaroni.

And it certainly wasn't macaroni.

He picked it up and brushed off the remaining food chunks, both surreptitiously and cautiously.

"Looks like a capsule…"

"Can you open it?" Skye asked.

"I think," he said, prying it apart in his lap. It made a 'pop!' noise, and both of them immediately began surveying around themselves to see if anyone noticed. If someone had, they were doing an excellent job of pretending they hadn't heard so much as a peep. "It's a note."

"Damn," Skye muttered in bewilderment. "What's it say?"

Lincoln didn't feel comfortable reading it aloud and passed it to Skye under the table. Her eyes widened as she took in the words.

"What's it mean?" he asked.

"That someone's trying to help us," she said with a smirk. "And they're on the inside."


	14. The Dove...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> May and Lincoln have a heart to heart.

_**Present Day:** _

May hurried Lincoln from the room as soon as she saw the signs.

Eyes wide. Quick breathing. Clearly nowhere near the rest of them as far into his own head as he'd become.

Honestly, she was surprised Morse hadn't seen it earlier. But for as strong as Bobbi was, her scars had been physical as well as emotional so she'd become accustomed to letting them show recently.

May knew something about suffering on the inside. And as much as Skye or Bobbi might have been hiding feelings as well, Lincoln surely took the cake.

She pulled him into a conference room and guided him into a seat, kneeling down in front of him.

"Hey," she said. "You with me?"

His blank eyes drew up slowly, meeting hers as he nodded in measured strokes.

"You're ok. You don't have to go back in there."

His eyebrows knitted in confusion. "Yes I do."

"You don't," she assured him.

"Right. Because I'm  _weak_ ," he scoffed.

"No, not because you're weak."

"Skye thinks I'm weak," he said. Melinda stayed quiet to let him explain. "She told me as much when we were still at that place. And she hid things from me. Wouldn't even tell me Ward was  _there_."

"That doesn't mean she thinks you're weak."

May watched tears he was clearly ashamed of begin to accumulate. "I don't want to see him, though."

"So don't."

"But that will just be proving Skye right."

May was in the midst of shaking her head. Despite how experienced she was with this herself, she wasn't exactly the best talker.

Thankfully, quite a big talker walked in.

"Hey, what's going on in here?" Hunter asked gently, strolling through the open door with two water bottles. "You ok mate? Oh right sorry, dumb question. Here."

He handed out a bottle, but Lincoln just turned his head. May grabbed it for him.

Hunter put a hand on Lincoln's shoulder. "You're gonna be ok, we promise. We're not going to go anywhere."

He shoved him off. "It's too good to be true. All of it."

"Being back at SHIELD? Trust me, it's really not all that great. You lived here for a bit, close quarters and mediocre food…"

"To be honest, the food at the last place probably  _was_  better," Lincoln mumbled. A hidden smile began trying to escape.

"Right, there you go," said Hunter. May smirked. A bit.

Lincoln turned away, taking gulps of breath as he clearly tried to calm down. He shook his head and sighed. "Looks like I'm having a freak out," he said shrilly, trying to play it off. "Sorry."

" _This_  is a freak out?" said Hunter. "Oh, you have much more self-control than me."

"Doesn't everyone?" asked May.

"Hey!" he said in offense, but there was no fire behind it. Lincoln shrugged a bit awkwardly. He could tell they were being a little soft with him, but May didn't think he minded just by his facial expressions and the way his tense shoulders relaxed. He  _had_  said he could do with some coddling.

And, in complete honesty, May did not think that made him weak in any sense.

There was a loud and sudden growl coming from right outside the door, followed by a blonde blur rushing passed in stomps.

"Was that Bob?" asked Hunter.

Lincoln nodded. "You… might want to talk to her. She's upset."

"Wait. I thought she was talking with you and Skye?"

"Skye, uh, Skye's the one that upset her."

"No," May corrected. " _Ward's_  the one that upset her. Skye was just wrong on how to bring up the subject."

"Skye's angry," Lincoln said in a bitter tone. "She  _did_  do something wrong. She's letting her anger and frustration take over."

"You can't let it take over, you're right," May said as Lincoln's eyes quickly grew dark. "But you need time to get it right."

"Sure get it right… because you have it all down perfectly, I'm guessing."

"Hey, now don't get testy-" said Hunter, but he was overlapped.

"Skye told me the story. She told me what Jiaying said. You became some SHIELD robot!  _And_  you quit."

The room stilled as Lincoln seethed, though May didn't so much as move. Hunter just looked on in a sort of stupor.

"Hunter," May said, still staring at Lincoln quite intently. "Go check on Bobbi."

The man nodded instantly, only to pleased to have an out. "Yes ma'am."

He hurried away.

May came in closer to Lincoln, enough that he shifted at the uncomfortable proximity. "It takes time. It took me time to realize I made a mistake leaving, because I belong here as a specialist. As Skye's SO. As  _your_  SO." She made sure to stress the importance, as it had never become official. His eyes widened. To be honest, she couldn't be sure if the shock was from the admission of from the amount of words she was sure to never have said to this person all at once before. "But I can't change what that experience did to me. And if it made me a robot… that's because I'm dealing with it every day."

Two tears finally fell from Lincoln. He shook his head and his voice cracked. "I don't want to be different. I was finally liking who I was. I thought I could be brave with SHIELD… but Skye's right, I'm a coward."

"If you keep saying that and pitying yourself, that's exactly what you'll become," May told him. He nodded.

Then, she hugged him.

It was the best thing Coulson could have possibly done for her in Bahrain.

"Think I can start tomorrow?" Lincoln huffed in a watery laugh, hesitantly wrapping his arms around May.

"By tomorrow. Training's still at six."

He nodded and mumbled something about hoping this was real once again, but May was sure it wasn't meant for her ears. Maybe he wasn't aware he'd even said it out loud.

May realized they still had a long road ahead of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This may be a bit soft for May, but last we saw her she was off to a vacation and I think letting go a bit. So maybe it works.
> 
> Thank you milia_kaisa and Aslanscompass for comments!


	15. ...and the Ant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye and Lincoln react to their anonymous note.

**_About Eight Months Ago_ **

_\- Escape plan in progress, high risk aid from you two vital.  
_ _In: Return food trays stacked on each other. Out: Separate. Contact soon. -_

Skye couldn't believe it. A note that promised salvation if they were willing to chance it, and it had been buried in the depths of Lincoln's macaroni.

"How do you know they're on the inside?" he asked.

"Because how else are they supposed to know whether we put the trays together or not? How would they have gotten the note  _to_ us?"

Lincoln shrugged. "Tech? Cameras?"

"We know this place has ridiculously tight security. How would SHIELD get a drone in to place the tech without it being noticed? They'd need an inside man to get the job done either way." Skye gave him a pointed look. "Brain, Lincoln. Use it."

She didn't mean to be harsh, but it was no less than what May would have said to her.

Ok, maybe slightly less sarcasm included.

"So we're doing it, right?" Lincoln asked.

"One,  _I'm_ doing it. Two, I don't know… what if it's a trap?"

Lincoln scoffed. "Ok, let's focus on point number one for a second here. The note says it needs both of our help. And we just got done talking about how we need to be equals here!"

"Equals with stuff that's forced upon us, not crazy escape plans we're walking into with anonymous letter senders."

"Are we forgetting whose food we found this in?" He cocked a brow. "If anyone's sitting this out, it's you."

Skye was not amused. She guessed it showed on her face. "We'll put a pin in it and go to point number two."

"Number two yes, pin no. This issue is solved."

She rolled her eyes, electing to ignore him. He didn't get it. Lincoln couldn't understand just how messy this stuff could become.

Sometimes, Skye would try to compare people she was helping to how she had been in the past, before she'd been trained. When she'd been shot. Naïve, baby Skye decided that she could handle anything. That despite not being trained she could do the same thing as everyone else. As Melinda May.

She almost died for it.

She wouldn't let others make the same mistakes.

Skye wasn't the same as she'd been, and she had the knowledge and muscle mass as proof.

Lincoln was a one-month in rookie. And however unfair this situation was, however much they were both being hurt here… he wasn't on the same level as her. But she knew he wouldn't accept that.

"This could be a plant," Skye mused. "Kane gauging how defiant we are still."

"Then let's show him we are," Lincoln said, surprisingly Skye slightly. "This isn't going to be a cakewalk either way, and if this is SHIELD reaching out there's no way we can chance not taking it."

Skye sighed. She knew he was right. She just hated putting him in danger… and, she wasn't going to lie, herself as well. Pain was pain, no matter how gallant you tried to be in the face of it.

"Can't argue with that logic," she admitted.

"So we agree?"

Skye lifted her tray and set it down just across the table so it clattered down on top of Lincoln's a moment later.

"We do."

Lincoln eyed the plates as food sloshed over the sides.

"I wasn't done," he said blankly.

Skye eyed the mess.

"Oops."

* * *

Skye and Lincoln spent days waiting for a response. They kept their heads down and did what was expected of them, trying not to draw any unnecessary attention their way.

They learned a few things about the fights in this time. There were two types of matches: 'til time' or 'til death'. Time was a two to ten minute match with the person in the better state at the end winning. To death was… well, fairly self-explanatory. The latter had higher stakes and higher bets, but it didn't happen very often.

Which explained why Kane had been so mad at her.

To call off a 'death' match meant refunding  _everyone_  who had bet, and still giving the winnings to the people who had placed their faith in whoever was on top when the match was called to a forfeit. To be honest, Skye was surprised Kane  _had_  called it off once she'd learned that.

But he obviously saw a lot in her, which, when translated to creepy human-dog fight language, meant a lot of money.. Creel had been their top dog, so to have the new meat take him out would have caused an upset, with Kane reining in a huge haul from the exponentially greater numbers with it being a death match.

Skye had screwed it up big time for him. Not only had he given a refund, the audience knew her worth now. They'd likely place their faith in  _her_  next time.

Skye tried to be hopeful, but after over  _two weeks_  of not receiving a second note she wondered if whoever their friend on the inside had been had gotten caught, or if it truly had been a rouse made by Kane, so that now he was just letting them stew. After all, it had been so long and neither of them had been called into the pit.

Raina had, though.

It was just a time match, and considering how worn out she'd already been the first moment they'd seen her in this place, she didn't look much worse when she came back.

Skye felt awful about their confrontation. Even if Raina had a heart as black as soot, it wasn't right to make that judgment based on how she acted under torture. More than once Skye had considered saying sorry, but the timidity in the girl's eyes when she saw the agent and how Naja didn't want to speak to them out of fear… she decided it was probably better to leave well enough alone.

Until the porcupine herself walked right up to her while she and Lincoln were doing one of the assigned chores: cleaning dishes, in this instance. Skye thought she might have been missing a few more quills since the last time they spoke.

"Skye," she acknowledged. "How… how are you?"

_Better than you, at the moment._

Skye shrugged. "Fine, considering. Did you, uh, win your match?"

Raina shook her head sadly.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Skye paused. "I'm sorry for everything," Skye said, the words rushing passed her lips like a burst pipe. "I didn't mean what I said. I just… we have a history, and all those people…"

"I'm aware," Raina said shortly. "I think about them all the time, how they are all here because of me. I… I had been prepared for death to save  _our_  people, but the pain… it just lasted too long."

"That's not your fault," insisted Lincoln.

"Whether I get a pass on technicality or not, they wouldn't be here if it weren't for my gift. If it weren't for me."

Skye felt her cheeks heat up; that statement had hit very close to home. Maybe she and Raina's paths  _were_ always intertwined…

Raina sat down on the bench, leaning in close to Skye's ear. "That's why I want to help," she whispered, pressing something into Skye's palm surreptitiously. "He told me you could help them all,  _us_  all, get out."

Skye's eyes turned large. "Who? Who told you?"

"It was… a guard, on my way back from the fight," Raina said hesitantly, suddenly standing. "Please, if you can help… please just try."

And then she was gone, back into the crowd in her cowering state. The brief moment of precious bravery gone instantly.

Lincoln moved to block Skye from the guards as she opened and read the new note. ' _Have to contact directly. Make scene.'_

"You know, it would be really helpful if SHIELD could be a little less cryptic," Lincoln said, reading over her shoulder. Skye studied the note for another second longer and then popped the tiny paper in her mouth, swallowing quickly.

"Ok," Lincoln said in a drawn out tone, disbelieving and startled. "Did you really just  _eat_  paper?"

"Shh," Skye hushed him quickly. "He's trying not to be detailed in case they intercept it. Obviously why he wants us to make a scene…"

"Yeah, got any ideas on that?" he asked.

"Well, we nearly got into it the other day, but maybe we've been too buddy-buddy since. We should probably just pester one of the thugs." Like Thrash. Skye would love to get her riled up.

"Or maybe we could just focus on a believable issue. A real one."

"Between the two of us?" she asked. "What issues do we have?"

"Mainly that you try to act like you're my boss."

"What?"

"You say we're equals but then you treat me like your subordinate, not your friend."

"That's not true!"

"C'mon Skye, you know it is. But guess what? This isn't SHIELD!"

Skye's head jerked in surprise. "You think I don't know that? It's ten times more dangerous! That's why someone like you-"

"Someone like me," Lincoln scoffed. "An untrained rookie? Is that all I am to you? I seem to recall a few months ago when you were the one asking me all the questions and had no clue what was going on."

"Yeah, with my powers. Which, newsflash!  _No one can use in here_."

"Exactly! So why do you feel the need to shadow me all the time and scare away anyone who comes within three feet of us?"

Lincoln was standing, his hands clenched and his voice had gotten so loud it overtook the mutterings that were constant in the Courtyard. Well, actually, they had quieted down as well in favor of staring at the two arguing Inhumans, just like the last time she and Lincoln had made such a scene-

Oh.

Well, Skye felt like an idiot.

"Because that's what you  _are_  Lincoln, a rookie. And I can protect you."

"You can't protect us, Skye. If you don't remember, you're the reason half of us are in this mess in the first place! And you had the gall to blame Raina."

Ok _, ouch_. That got Skye's blood pumping more than any mere acting could possibly achieve.

They were near circling each other now, slowly stepping sideways as though in a standoff. "You're a hypocrite. You wanted to be – you wanted this too," Skye shouted, in the heat of the moment near letting the 'SHIELD' name drop with everyone listening.

"The only hypocrite here is you. You say we're the same but you think you're better than everyone else. Better than your friends because of your powers and better than the Inhumans because you have the  _training_.

"You act like you're a glorified superhero, some righteous Captain America! Well I have news for you: you're not  _anyone's_ hero. You're just some charismatic girl that got on a higher up's good side so everything was handed to you."

"Watch it…"

"You're no better than daddy's little girl!" Lincoln laughed. "It really isn't surprising at all that you'd go looking for a father figure, given your daddy  _issues_ …"

"Shut  _up_!" she screeched, pouncing forward in a leap to rival a jungle cat. Lincoln near caught her, but she was throwing rapid (though not overly forceful) punches the moment she'd gotten airborne. They collapsed to the ground in a fierce wrestling match.

"Alright, break it up!" a guard said, rushing in with some of his buddies as they pulled Skye and Lincoln's clawing forms away from each other. Skye reached for Lincoln even as she was hauled away by multiple guards, only one going after Lincoln as he'd already seemed to surrender.

Skye suddenly felt her arms wrenched behind herself and given a few harsh shakes to presumably be told who was in charge, before she was thrown to the ground. "More trouble from you two and they won't want to keep you around anymore," a guard hissed. "Better check yourselves before you end up dead."

"Stellar advice, thanks," Skye snapped at them from the floor. The guard raised a foot ready to kick and Skye held out her hands. "No, no, no, I get it. Shut up and behave."

The guard was satisfied and left, leaving Skye to roll over and breathe out a relieved sigh at their absence, feeling glad to have avoided getting the wind knocked out of her. She was staring at the ceiling when a hand hovered over her face.

"C'mon," Lincoln said. Skye took the outreached hand that was offered and he hauled her up, the two beginning to head back to a corner bench.

"You could have warned me…" she whispered.

"It was more authentic this way. And it paid off," he said, holding out a paper crushed into his hand for Skye to see.

Skye had to smother her smile. "Later," she whispered.

* * *

Later came in the form of night. Lincoln passed Skye the note, her eyes straining to read in the low light. But it was possible.

"How in the hell do we manage that?" she hissed quietly.

"You've already done it," Lincoln pointed out.

"Accidentally!" she said. "And it's not like people go looking for death matches. How are we supposed to get ourselves into one?"

"Piss Kane off?" Lincoln guessed. Skye shook her head.

"That just gets him itching for us to suffer. We have to… we have to prove we don't have worth, so he wouldn't mind if he lost us."

"Ok. Well you know what that means, don't you?"

"Uh… do I lose Brownie points if I say no?"

"It means I'll have to be the one to go in the pit."

Skye shook her head immediately. " _No,_  it definitely does not-"

"Kane knows your worth. Or at least he truly believes your something. And if your powers were really capable of killing a man made of  _metal,_  I think any doubts he had are gone. He's not going to put you against an opponent you can easily beat again because the audience will probably be on your side now, after seeing what you can do.  _Brain Skye, use it_ ," he said cheekily. Skye grimaced. He was mocking her from earlier.

"So what?" she countered. "We can show him that I'll never co-operate, that I'm too much trouble."

"You're too special to him. It doesn't matter what those guards say, he wants to break people. He wants to break  _you,_ not kill you."

Skye felt herself twitch. Not only was he most likely right, there was Ward's promise to her… If he truly did control her fate, she surely didn't think she'd be getting into a death match any time soon.

Lincoln didn't even have all the information she did and he was more right than her.

Skye hated this. The whole situation was just mistakes she'd made coming to bite her in the ass and others paying for it.

"Thing is," Lincoln continued, "I think we can use that to our advantage."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kudos and comments! They mean a lot to me :D


	16. The Tortoise...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Simmons runs into Skye in the loo.

_**Present Day** _

If she were truly in the mind to really think about it, Simmons decided that Skye and Bobbi were probably her best girlfriends. There was May of course, but Jemma looked up to her more like a mentor. They were surely solid friends of some kind, but calling their relationship something so frivolous as girlfriends just didn't seem appropriate with May.

So, it was with this realization that Simmons realized her two best girl pals were fighting. And not over a boy or silly little disagreement with shoes like normal besties, but… over torture. Influenced by Ward.

Whom she should have disposed of  _months_  ago.

All of this was her fault. She'd failed. She'd told Fitz that the next person Ward hurt would be on her conscience, and it ended up being Bobbi. Then he of  _course_  had to be involved with the torment of the gifteds.

Simmons could scarcely bear thinking about what Skye had already explained they'd been put through. Tortured, drugged, shamed by not only a man she hated but others... and now she was rehashing the story for them all.

It was no surprise her friend's mind was botched.

Even so, yelling at Bobbi wasn't fair. She hadn't fully recovered mentally either.

None of this was ok.

Simmons had run to the bathroom just after Bobbi made her exit, which apparently had been a good call, because now her tears were creating a small current into the sink. She tried to muffle the sobs with her hand.

How dare she have gall to cry when her friends were dealing with so much more?

Coulson didn't have a hand. Skye and Lincoln were of course a mess from events that had ended no more than hours which had spanned months, Bobbi wasn't acting herself. Fitz… was better, admittedly. Honestly, he was fantastic, considering how he'd been. Still not the same, but he had so much more confidence now.

Still, he never should have been broken in the first place. He wouldn't have been... if it weren't for Ward.

All her problems seemed to stem from the same place.

The solution seemed so simple, suddenly. She'd thought of it before. Just because she'd failed didn't mean she had to give up. Perseverance was one of her defining traits, after all.

Simmons was so caught up in the heat of her thoughts, she didn't hear the admittedly overly loud bathroom door creak. She hopped in place once she realized.

It was Skye.

She appeared startled as she took in Simmons' appearance. Then Jemma realized… she most likely still had tear tracks on her face. Actually, it wasn't most likely at all. It was a certainty, given that she could feel them.

Skye glanced downward, abashed as her left hand held her right wrist.

"Sorry if I'm interrupting," she said gruffly. "Had to pee."

Simmons waved her off and plastered an automatic smile that probably looked considerably fake, given the marks of recent crying on her face. "Oh, it's fine of course. You didn't do anything wrong."

Skye gave her a wary glance, her eyebrows furrowing as though she might become upset once again. But she just shook her head and went into a stall.

Simmons walked towards the exit.

"Except, I did do something wrong," Skye said, bursting back out of the bathroom stall door before she could have had any sort of chance to do anything. "I'm an asshole, aren't I?"

"Oh… well I… wouldn't use those exact words."

"God, I'm  _such_ an asshole," Skye moaned, taking fingers through her hair. Jemma grimaced and felt another urge to cry at her friend's upset, but held it in. The last thing Skye needed was more guilt. And… oh.  _She_ was crying.

"I'm sorry," Skye muttered. "I'm just  _frustrated,_  I guess."

"You're fine," Jemma said, approaching her with a tentative hand to the shoulder.

Skye looked up wretchedly. "I'm not fine, Simmons."

Jemma took a deep breath. "You're right. You're not. It would be impossible for you to be fine after such an ordeal. You know that, right? You know this isn't your… fault."

Skye gasped a sob, or tried to hold one back. She nodded. "Sure."

"That doesn't sound very firm."

"I just feel like there should have been something I could have done, right? And I tried so hard to do what was best. For Lincoln, to get us out. But we failed over and  _over_."

Her face winced into a harsh frown clearly meant to be followed by tears, but she hid her face in her hands.

"Skye…" Jemma touched her shoulder again and the girl jumped, pinning her with timid eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle… I just-"

"Not your fault, either," Skye muttered, trying to inconspicuously wipe her eyes.

"Right," Simmons said awkwardly, taking a step or two away. But maybe… "Skye, could... could I give you a hug?"

Skye's mouth popped open as though she were shocked by the question. Simmons didn't mean anything bad by it….

And Skye didn't seem to take it badly. She opened up her arms immediately, wrapping them around her and squeezing Jemma until she nearly couldn't breathe.

Not that she minded, right now.

"Thank you," Skye breathed, "for asking."

Simmons flinched in shock by the amount of gratuity from such a simple task . "Of course. You're welcome."

After a few moments they mutually released each other.

"You know Skye, I'd really like to take a look over you. Medically. Maybe you don't have to feel what you've been feeling."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"There are drugs that could help you, I'm sure, if I could just… examine you, make sure of exactly what's going on," she explained. "Do you think… would that be alright?"

Skye gulped. "You really think you could help?"

"I do, actually."

She clearly wasn't happy about it, but Skye nodded. "Ok."

"Brilliant!" chirped Simmons, perhaps a bit too overenthusiastically. She cleared her throat, calming herself. "Shall we go?"

"I uh, didn't make it all the way to the bathroom, actually," Skye said, gesturing to a stall that suggested what she still was in need of doing.

"Right! Yes. Of course. You go get that done,  _champ_ ," Simmons gave her a playful punch on the shoulder.

She would have regretted the awkward and frankly quite ridiculous gesture, but the befuddled amusement left on Skye's face made her happy for once that she was rather fumbling the emotional stress.

After Skye was finished, the pair headed towards the lab. Silently.

Gosh, Jemma wished should could be less awkward.

"How's, uh, how's debriefing going?"

"It's… cathartic, actually. Which is why I don't understand why I'm acting all bipolar. I should be feeling  _better_ now that I'm home. I  _know_  I should, but I'm not."

Angry tears manifested, once again, in her eyes.

"Hey, it's ok," Simmons cooed. "I'll see how I can help. And if you want, you can keep talking about it."

"You wouldn't mind?" Skye asked.

"Of course not! Honestly Skye, I realize you don't want to be coddled, but imagine if you were in our shoes… you'd want to do anything you could to help, right? You're making me feel good by allowing yourself to feel better."

Skye blinked, once or twice. Took in the words.

She seemed near relieved by them, sighing heavily.

"I guess you're right. Ok," Skye said, just as they walked into the lab.

A currently occupied lab it seemed, as three people stared back at them.

Fitz, Raina, and Naja.

Simmons immediately turned to Skye, suddenly worried of what her reaction to seeing the Inhumans for the first time since she'd been back would be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you Aslanscompass and Athanasios Hallas for the comments!


	17. ...and the Hare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye and Lincoln attempt to get one of them into a death match.

_ **About Seven Months Ago** _

"Hey! Hey, Ugly!" Skye shouted. Ok, maybe  _not_  the best insult for someone she couldn't see the face of… "Stormtrooper guy! I gotta talk to you."

It took a while, but eventually Skye effectively pissed the guard off enough that he turned around and shot over to her. She couldn't help but flinch back a foot or two. These guards tended to act before they'd speak if you pissed them off enough.

"Are you begging for a beating, girl?" he growled.

Though the words were harsh, Skye was fairly relieved he hadn't gone straight for the hit. "Um, no. I just have to talk to Kane."

He scoffed. "Yeah, right after my chat with Obama about bringing back fair wages. Back away from the line."

"He'll want to speak with me when he knows what I have to say," Skye insisted, voice growing strong.

"Yeah? What's that?"

She stood tall. "Tell him I'm ready to… obey. Tell him I'm ready to fight."

* * *

"Is that so?" Kane asked as he circled her like a predator closing in.

"Yes."

Skye felt like a woman on trial as she stood in the center of the room. The very room that she'd cradled Lincoln in while waiting for his torture to subside. Where she had cried and begged for them to come back, and they'd allow him to stew in agony just so she could learn a lesson.

Either they didn't have a lot of rooms, or they were doing this on purpose.

"You do realize I wasn't waiting for such an admission to put you in the pit, of course," Kane informed her.

"Then what were you waiting for?" she asked, gambling on whether or not his "question" rule still applied.

Kane stopped pacing just in front of her. "The proper opponent, just like anyone else. Making a profit on this place requires  _science_." His eyes moved, sizing her up, while his hands remained tightly knit behind his back. "But you already knew that. You're a smart girl; you realized I would have taken you if I saw fit. So what I'm wondering is why you've put yourself in the spotlight to tell me this?"

"Well I have… a condition. You know, for me to actually put effort into the fighting."

Kane snorted and Skye saw an expression of true amusement plaster onto his face. "A- a condition? What is this? A negotiation?"

"I just thought –"

"You aren't here to  _think_ , you insolent little- mm." He reined in the flash of anger. "Do you know, I think I'd like to hear this condition. Maybe I'll get a good laugh out of it."

Skye swallowed. "I… I don't want Lincoln in any of the fights."

"Oh, my," he said blankly. "That is a laughable prospect. But it's quite so ridiculous that I don't think I can muster up a chuckle."

"Please, I'll do death matches every time. He's just… he can't. He's not strong enough."

Kane did chuckle then, so dark Skye contemplated that he might have been working on the villain laugh in front of the mirror. He pressed fingers to his forehead.

"My god… how stupid can you possibly be?" He moved into her personal space, his head nearly hovering over her own. "You think you're special enough that I'll  _exempt_  another player for you? You have exquisite powers, I'll grant you, but you're no better than any of the other slaved aberrations down there!"

Skye's mouth popped open in offer to defend herself, but she allowed it to hang unhinged.

"And I was keeping you from the pit in order to find an opponent that could teach you a lesson, but you know, I think this is better."

Skye felt her stomach drop.

Kane took a long finger, drawing across her forehead with it in order to push some stray hair back into place. It was ridiculous; they weren't given brushes or mirrors and she was sure she looked a mess, but the intention of course wasn't to pull it away from her eyes. It was so her skin would crawl at the touch of him.

"I know exactly who can face off next. We'll just see how you handle it when there's no one left for you to defend."

* * *

"You were right Lincoln," Skye admitted when she got back. "He does want to see me suffer."

Despite herself, Skye felt her voice crack as tears tried to break through the wall she'd built.

"Hey," Lincoln cooed. "That's a good thing. We wanted this."

"You going to fight someone to the death  _cannot_  be a good thing! You should have seen Kane's face… he's stacking the odds against you. And it's all because of  _me_."

" _No one_ 's going to die," Lincoln promised. "We won't let it get that far."

"Because some note we have no idea who it's from told us so?" Skye shook her head. "This was the stupidest idea ever. How are we supposed to know it's not just them playing with us?"

"Because we don't have anything else to hold on to, and you know it."

"Maybe we should just wait…"

"It's already happening. We just have to trust that SHIELD is working this from the inside out."

There really  _wasn't_ any way to stop it, and here Skye was second-guessing. Putting doubts in Lincoln's head when he would have to go through it either way.

She wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled tear-blurred eyes into his shoulder. "Just be careful, ok?" she whispered.

* * *

"This round's winner is Flint. The next challenger is: Static!"

Skye held her breath.

Just like every other time this was announced, guards came to collect the person whose name had been called. Lincoln had never been in a fight and therefore had never been designated a pit name before this, but they both knew whom they were referring to.

It had been a week since she'd spoken with Kane and now it was finally happening. If everything went right, they could be out of there by the day's end.

As he was led away, Lincoln gave her a hopeful smile to which she tried to return, but it was lost behind her worry. She nearly kicked herself. She should have given him a better send-off.

"You too," said a guard, eyes trained at Skye with an eager gleam.

It was like some sick sense of deja vu from when Ward had taken her off the BUS to San Juan. 'You too.' Both of the men made it sound like Skye should know she was meant to follow when they'd given her no prior information of such excursions.

"What?" she muttered in disbelief.

"Come with me."

"But I'm not-"

He sighed in annoyance. "Come with me or get hurt. How difficult is this prospect for you?"

Skye spied out Lincoln trying to glance back at the ruckus she and the man were making, but her friend was pushed forward. So, alone and seeing no way out, Skye followed the guard.

He didn't take her with Lincoln who was most likely being prepped as she'd been. Skye was led directly to the pit. But it wasn't to the gate like the first time she'd been down there.

The guard opened a small, inconspicuously placed door and shoved Skye inside a tiny room. He followed, shutting the door behind himself.

Skye was confused, but knew this situation held nothing good. For a moment she'd thought it might be SHIELD's inside man getting her isolated from the others, but she doubted it at the guard's rough hands and the direction he took her in the building. Then of course there was the contents of the room he'd flung her into. There was a chair bolted to the ground, waiting with vacant restrains attached, and- and was that…

"That's the arena," she said bluntly.

"Quick as whip, you are," the guard deadpanned. "Welcome to Box Three. Now, sit down so I can strap you in; Kane wants you to see this."

"What is this… some demented observatory?"

"It's for disobedient creatures to see exactly what their reality is. Now get into the chair!" He propelled her down using a firm clasp on her shoulder, forcing her to sit.

Skye swallowed nervously. This was bad. If she was trapped in here, how the hell would she get out when the plan went down? No one knew where she was!

"Fight shouldn't start for a couple minutes," the guard mumbled, taking his time pacing as Skye mulled over options. He began strapping her left wrist onto the chair when his head leaned to whisper in her ear. "I'm thinking we could have some fun together," he said slowly, licking his lips as he leered at her body. "You'll just be sitting here. Could be boring if I weren't around to…  _entertain_  you."

Well,  _incredibly_  creepy guard, you just made that made the answer simple enough.

Just as Skye felt the man reach down from behind to start on the right strap she whipped her head backwards, crushing her skull against his nose. He grasped it in pain.

She spun around, sending a punch to his temple that he managed to block but distracted him from the roundhouse kick: she'd used the force holding her left wrist down as her center and swung her body around the chair so her foot connected with his skull, smashing him to the ground.

Then she ripped off his helmet and bashed his head in until he stopped moving.

It was invigorating.

Skye immediately brushed over his body for a weapon, pocketing the only thing she saw – his baton. It didn't surprise her that they didn't have guns; wouldn't want to fatally wound the merchandise.

A chill ran up her as she remembered the word Kane had used to describe them. When they were presented like cows to market.

How  _had_  Ward paid for her? With a credit card, cash? Work even? Maybe he got a certificate like one you'd receive for buying a dog at the pound, or just a "Season Pass", as it sounded like Kane was only selling temporary holds over them. She wasn't even sure what he'd gotten, exactly. It wasn't like she'd seen her old SO. Thank god for that, she didn't even want to think about it. Not even confiding in Lincoln…

Skye shook her head.

_Stay on task._

She stomped forward, putting her hand to the door and pulling-

Locked.

"Shit," she muttered, tugging harder and harder. What the hell was she supposed to do? Bang on it until someone came and saw the guard she knocked out?

Said guard then groaned, reminding Skye the first thing to do was get rid of him. She pulled him bodily onto the disturbing metal chair and strapped him in just as he intended to do her.

His eyes began fluttering open right as she was finishing up the last strap on his leg. "What the… hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?" he exclaimed.

Skye smirked, pulling the buckle painfully tight one last time.

"I'm just having some fun," she said innocently as she batted her eyelashes, at the same time ripping a strip of cloth from his shirt and dangling it playfully in front of him. "Isn't that what you wanted?"

He grumbled some rather rude words, which only fed Skye's flames of smugness.

"Now," she said, drawling the word out lowly to keep with her theme. Maybe she was having a bit too much fun, but she couldn't help a power play after being treated so inferior for weeks. "It would be  _so_  nice of you to tell me how to get that door open."

The guard began chuckling and Skye had to hide the pang of worry it sent through her. The annoyance? She allowed that to play out on her face.

"I can't get us out," he told her. "It's supposed to open once the fight ends."

Skye stared into his eyes.

Then grabbed his thumb, twisted and pulled.

"Whoa, hey!"

"Tell the truth," she snarled. "Or I start breaking digits."

"I am, I am!" he insisted. "Kane always wanted to keep a guard with any prisoner in here, but some people would figure the straps would be enough to hold them and head out for a break. When one got loose he was furious and implemented the rule." Skye pressed a little more forcefully. "I swear!"

Begrudgingly, she released him, and the great lug started heaving buckets in relief.

"Bitch," he muttered.

Skye slapped him across the face, his comment earlier on about what he was willing to do to her leaving almost no sympathy for the man. And she already had little for anyone who could help a place like… this.

She slipped the cloth she'd gathered from his shirt earlier into his mouth and tied it around the back of his head. The guard gave her a glare of pure rage, snarling through the fabric.

Skye was happy with her handiwork, but considering that that was done with, what was she going to do about the door?

She growled in frustration. Now they were just going to find her there and be extra cautious, knowing that she could take out a man twice her size. Probably hand out a fair punishment to her and Lincoln, as well.

She suddenly became distracted from her thoughts of escape as she heard the unmistakable roaring of a crowd and the muffles of an announcer.

Skye's time left to think of an escape plan was dwindling.

The fight had begun.

* * *

Lincoln wanted to be brave for Skye like she always had been for him. But truly, he was terrified.

Of course there was a chance this was all some rouse. That the notes weren't real and they failed the test; that he'd die and Skye would be abused for the rest of her stay here. Alone.

But he refused to believe it. There had to be an escape; he would not go back to being the desolate kid he was before the Inhumans found him.

Lincoln eyed the way the guards held their bludgeons warily. Once his gate was opened he made sure to strut out before they had the chance to use them.

No, he wasn't that kid. He was an Inhuman, he was worth something.

His opponent was already on the field. "Flint" they called him, and Lincoln had seen him around. He was barely even a teenager. Lincoln wondered what his powers were for a fleeting moment, but distracted himself with hopes he could accomplish what he needed to before he ever had to find out.

Lincoln didn't listen to how they called it a death match. The introductions. The crowd. He was focused, more so than he'd ever been before. His eyes owned in on his target and he bounced his weight from leg to leg in preparation to run.

"Begin!" the announcer shouted.

Lincoln didn't waste a second. He ran to the side of the ring, opening his palm and ready to blast the forcefield…

When something sharp ran into his head. The earth rushed up to meet him, and a second later he found himself on the ground.

Blurry vision greeted him when he opened his eyes. So, maybe he wasn't the most reliable source to tell, but it appeared as though the boy before him was changing. Or… something. Rocks and sand from the ground beneath his feet were rushing up to cover him. Near like armor.

He started towards Lincoln who fired a shot of electricity straight at the kid.

Which didn't do anything.

So  _that_  was why Kane wanted him to fight this boy. He didn't even have a chance.

Lincoln ran again, desperate to reach the edge of the ring before his opponent could catch up to him.

Flint threw rock after rock using his ability, which was apparently equivalent to being an earthbender.. Lincoln managed to avoid them for the most part, but eventually his luck came to an end. Just as he reached the edge one made its mark, for the most part. It scraped Lincoln's ankle so he tumbled to the ground once again.

But he'd made it far enough.

Lincoln placed his palm flat on the side of the arena and shocked, watching the invisible force field cackle and materialize in and out, yellow and blue flashes blinding them. He didn't stop. He kept going, as every spectator's eyes were drawn to the light show. Even Flint had stopped in his tracks just to stare in confusion.

Finally, it sparked a final time and flickered, until nothing was there at all. Well, all except dead air between the contestants and the audience.

The note had been telling the truth: whoever the guy helping them was, he'd weakened the field enough for Lincoln's powers to shut it down. The message had claimed he needed a death match so he'd have a reason to go near the clock, which happened to be just next to the forcefield controls. If he turned it down just enough no one would notice, but Lincoln would be able to neutralize it if he got a good enough shock in.

Lincoln turned on the frantic audience and shot a blast, galvanizing them into a panic.

Flint glanced around as though lost. "What's going on?" he asked.

"We can get out of here! The forcefield should have short-circuited the whole system. Our chips won't work anymore, they can't hurt us from afar and the others can go past the boundaries!"

Flint's eyes grew wide. He didn't look overly happy with the information. More like… terrified.

"But… the inhibitors…"

"We'll get them off once we get out of here. For now, we just have to go!"

Flint swallowed and was generally hesitant, but he nodded. They ran back to the gate that had given Lincoln access to the room and hoisted the door up together. Lincoln took one last peek at the panicked crowd.

Kane was amidst the chaos, standing still and livid. Lincoln glared back.

"C'mon!" Flint shouted. Lincoln was knocked out of his stupor, moving to follow his new comrade when he heard a pounding. A rather insistent pounding, so he turned towards the determined noise.

And saw Skye.

"Skye?"

She was pounding on glass, or… something see-through. Lincoln didn't think it had been there before. When her eyes caught his her face lit up far passed the desperation she'd been sporting, as though she'd been attempting to get his attention for a while, and she beckoned him over.

"C'mon man!" Flint insisted.

"Go, I'll catch up."

Flint did not need to be told twice and ran, leaving Lincoln to inspect Skye's casing. It was like she was in a room within the wall. And… was that a  _guard_  strapped to a chair behind her?

So that's what she was doing there, where they'd taken her. She was being forced to watch him most likely die.

Lincoln wasn't usually a bloodthirsty person, but he really wouldn't mind seeing the people in charge of this lose a few pints.

She tried to say something, but Lincoln pointed to his ear and shook his head to indicate he couldn't hear her. She scowled, then gestured behind herself to a door. Her hand made a circle motion.

_Go around and let me out._

Lincoln quickly stepped to do just that when said door behind Skye began moving. Opening.

And she had no idea.

"Skye!" he shouted. She shot Lincoln a puzzled look as he motioned behind her. She got the message and about faced to meet the guard, stepping back and raising her hands for a fight.

But the new guy gestured invitingly to the open door.

A shot suddenly zoomed passed Lincoln's head and he was forced to duck for cover. There was a dart on the ground next to him.

He had to get out of there.

Lincoln glanced back at Skye one last time to see her status before making a mad dash for her, only to find that she was already gone.

He sprinted out of the arena like a bat out of hell. He had to find Skye, and whom he hoped was their mysterious savior. Because if it wasn't…

Lincoln didn't know what would become of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you bozaq and Aslanscompass for comments!


	18. The Ass,

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bobbi and Hunter head to the lab.

_**Present Day:** _

"Whoa, Bobbi, where you off to in such a rush?"

She didn't even bother to slow down. "Nowhere. Just leave me alone."

He scoffed, cutting off her apparent warpath by stepping in front of her. "Fat chance. What did Skye say?"

Bobbi instantly teared up, which was saying something... She hadn't done that since just after what they'd taken to calling 'the incident'. Even when Ward had approached them once again.

She didn't bother to wipe her face, most likely her instinct to stay away from the area she wanted him to avoid seeing, and shrugged. "Just the truth."

"I doubt it."

"She said I quit," Bobbi said sharply.

"Oh… well you didn't  _really,_  considering you're here now. You just took a little vacation."

"You know I planned to quit."

"Yes, which would have been a completely legitimate choice given what you've been through. But you came back." He put a hand on her shoulder. "You're not weak Bob, I promise."

She smiled, only lasting a moment before it vanished. She flinched away from him. "Coulson took me off the debrief."

"That doesn't mean-"

Bobbi took her face in her hands and spoke hotly. "Please stop. I can tell for myself what it means. I don't need you  _hovering_  and  _lying_ to me like I'm some child that needs to be protected."

Lance closed his mouth that had been gaping open like a fish's.

"Alright," he conceded. "I'm sorry."

Now, it was times like this that Hunter truly realized how much their relationship had changed from Wa-  _the incident_. Because in the past, he most likely would have rebuttled with something about how Bobbi herself was a liar, how she constantly treated Hunter like a kid. You know, the pot and kettle argument.

But instead, he tried to be a bigger man and apologized.

Which… caused the woman before him to growl.

"What now?" he exclaimed.

"That's  _exactly_ what I'm talking about!"

"I just agreed with you and said I was sorry," Hunter pointed out, completely addled. " _How_ is that bad?"

Bobbi scowled. And snorted. "You really don't get it, do you? Whatever. I'm going to the lab."

"The lab? Why?"

"That's where Raina and Naja hang out. If I can't debrief Skye and Lincoln, I'll just have to speak to them. See if the others' appearance is making them any more talkative."

Hunter scrutinized her. " _Or_ you're going to the one place Skye is avoiding like the plague."

Bobbi stopped walking.

"Ooh, I'm right eh? Picking up a few things from you. Maybe I'll be the key interrogator from now on."

She tilted her head nonchalantly. "You might have to start now."

"Bobbi…"

She shook her head with a simper. "It's fine. Really. I was overreacting."

Hunter was a bit shocked at the overall change of mood so suddenly, but that didn't stop him being happy for it.

Unless she was lying.

It  _was_  her bloody annoying forte.

Bobbi had already begun to walk away, but turned around with a welcoming gesture to Lance.

"Well, you coming?"

* * *

Admittedly, Hunter had indeed read Bobbi right. She was going to the lab in hopes of avoiding Skye.

Which made it somewhat a shame to see who exactly was in there.

"Those results will be ready for me to read in just a few moments, Skye!"

"Really? That fast?" Skye asked, hopping off the med bench Simmons had clearly been examining her from. The girl appeared timid, impatient and just generally… unhappy.

Certainly seemed to be the mood of everyone as of late.

"They're very basic tests, making sure all your vitals are normal."

Bobbi squinted, her go-to face when she was thinking. If she'd allow her conversational partner to see it, that was. But Simmons had done a small surgery on Skye just a little while ago. Surely she'd have gotten some base information on her  _vitals_ …

She was testing something else as well, something she wasn't sharing.

"Bobbi!" exclaimed Jemma in shock, clearly just noticing the blonde. "And Hunter," she acknowledged as a near afterthought. "What, um, what brings you two to the lab?"

"It certainly is getting pretty crowded…" mumbled Naja from the corner, glaring at Simmons.

Ah yes, the girl had a crush on Fitz. It was no wonder she disliked the biochemist.

Bobbi smiled at her, trying not to look at Skye who was clearly avoiding the same thing, only she appeared to be dodging glances at the Inhumans in the room as well. "I came to speak with Raina and Naja."

"Did you?" Raina asked smugly, cocking a brow and acting as though she could see right through Morse. Which of course, she could.

Damn clairvoyant.

Bobbi cleared her throat. "Yes."

Skye made the same noise, even louder, stomping to the door. "Well I'd better get going then. Should be looking for Lincoln anyways."

"Oh, I saw him with May!" supplied Hunter helpfully. "Though… I think they might have been having a private chat."

Skye's face got caught somewhere between a smile and a frown. "Lincoln? And May? Private chat?"

Hunter's eyes were wide. "Uh… yes. Those are the cliffnotes of my sentence."

"Why would- ugh, nevermind. I'll just go find them."

"Skye wait," Bobbi said, nearly reaching out a hand to stop her physically. She decided against it, and Skye turned around anyway. With arms crossed and a scowl showing an extremely defensive stance, but she did turn.

"I didn't mean what I said. Or… what I was about to say," she said quietly, trying to ignore the audience she had. Simmons was clearly making an effort to act as though she were busying herself, but then there was Fitz inching closer to listen. "If anyone's broken, it's me. You're right. I was just angry about Ward."

Skye opened her mouth and glanced around, awkward and frustrated as she still clutched her crossed arms. Eventually, her gaze settled on her own fingertips. "I know the feeling."

Bobbi searched for her eyes. "Want to call a truce?"

Skye trained her eyes upwards.

"Not really," she said bluntly.

The room stilled for long moments, the only sound to be heard was Bobbi's intake of breath.

"Oh well that's awkward…" Fitz mumbled.

Bobbi felt Hunter's presence beside her. "Skye, listen-"

"No.  _You_  listen. I have asked for one thing since I've been back.  _One_  thing that would be really  _really_ simple to make happen, and you guys won't give it to me!"

"Skye," Raina said gently, stepping forward. "If you just take a moment to look within yourself, even you would realize what a bad idea it is to see him so soon."

The girl shook her head. "You're wrong. I have all this…  _anger_ and grief and it's not fair that I take it out on you guys!" she screeched desperately.

"Oh c'mon Skye, it's been a few hours," said Fitz. "You're doing-"

"I swear to god Fitz, if you say I'm doing  _fine_  I will punch you so hard-"

"Hey!" Naja exclaimed. "Back off; he's just trying to help."

Bobbi didn't find it strange that Naja stuck up for the engineer, but she was shocked Simmons wasn't aiding as well. When Morse went to look at the scientist she appeared to not even be paying attention. Immersed in her work.

"Why didn't you try to help?" Skye sniffled to the reptilian woman. "Lincoln and I were alone for  _so_ long and both of you were just here, where I live….  _not_  giving information?"

"We were scared…" Naja said, curling into herself and near proving her point as she began to glow.

Skye took a deep breath. "I know," she said, nodding, before bitterly adding, "I am- I was too."

A wary glance made its way around the room, Skye taking one more look at everyone as though her eyes were capable of firing a guilt rifle, and she left.

Simmons finally looked up from her work, not saying a word but definitely appearing frazzled as she hurried after Skye.

"Jemma!" Fitz called, but she acted as though she didn't hear him in the slightest.

Morse sighed, and began to follow as well. Hunter caught her arm. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I can't leave her in that state."

"Simmons went."

"I don't care. This is my fault."

"Ok, can everyone just stop playing the blame game? It's getting old. Not to mention ridiculous!"

"Just let me go, Hunter," she said, her voice much more tired than holding any contempt for him. It softened him more than a challenge would any day.

She ripped her arm away from him and went after the girls.

When she found them, Skye was in the corner of some conference room and Simmons was crowded into what would normally be someone's personal space, saying something. A soft something.

A  _secret_ something.

"What's going on?" Bobbi asked gently.

Skye scowled immediately.

"I'm taking her to Ward," Simmons explained without reserve. "It's her right."

The change in the girl was jarring as she now appeared near as angry as Skye. Both were undoubtedly upset. Bobbi wondered if it had anything to do with whatever Simmons had been so distracted with in the lab.

They were emotional and angry, and an excursion to see an ex-teammate was clearly not a good idea.

Bobbi leaned in closer.

"Ok... I just have one question."

"Well I might not be inclined to  _answer_..."

Bobbi allowed Skye's muttered words full of malice to pass over her, unburdened, as she continued.

"Mind if I come?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the continued support AthanasiosHallas!


	19. The Fox,

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye and Lincoln meet their savior.

_**About Seven Months Ago** _

Skye found herself remarkably unable to tear her eyes away as Lincoln fought in that pit, and in doing so she realized one thing: he definitely wasn't fighting his opponent.

He was fighting to get to that wall.

Why was he being so stupid? His goal might have been to get to the side, but he couldn't forget about the current obstacle throwing mutilating sized rocks at his head!

She was tempted to call out to him, try to get his attention, but it was presumptively more important that he stay focused. She remained silent so he would not get distracted by her. Though honestly, the crowd she'd known to be blaring like foghorns when she had been out there sounded more like whisper to her now. He likely wouldn't even be able to hear her if she attempted to speak.

Flint basically herded Lincoln towards Skye and suddenly she was right in his eye line. He stared straight at her, coming closer and closer. If he saw her, and currently it seemed impossible that he wouldn't, the shock of her random appearance could get him killed.

She held her breath as he approached, laying his hand on her viewing window so she could see the thin-lined wrinkles of his palm.

He didn't so much as acknowledge she was there.

It was then Skye realized she was witnessing the events through a one-way mirror - or something that served a similar purpose of such. She might have already been closed off from him, but the knowledge that he couldn't see her even if he stared into her eyes… it made Skye feel quite more alone. (Even with the tied up guard next to her. Though, honestly, he wasn't the _best_ of company.)

Lincoln pressed his palm hard and flat onto the window, right where Skye was. She could have touched it.

She knew better.

Lincoln lit up the pit, Skye watching in giddy awe as the force field puttered out. If everything went the way SHIELD's mysterious notes had explained, all the contestants could run out of the Courtyard because the telepathic field controlling the chips would have been disrupted.

And maybe that meant other things were disengaged as well…

Skye ran to the door and pulled. Once, twice, and...

No luck, as she found to her dismay it was still unable to be budged. The trussed guard huffed a muffled laugh.

Skye ignored him and went back to her viewing window to take stock of the chaos happening just outside of it. The crowds were disheveled, screeching and trying to leave. She saw Lincoln speaking with Flint, his attention turned away from her now. Maybe if he heard her…

She began pounding on the window, screaming his name to the chorus of the increasingly annoying guard's laughter in the background. It felt as though the world's weight was flitted away from her when Lincoln merely perked up at the noise. He even walked over to her.

 _Well, now what?_  she thought. He couldn't see her. She couldn't even hear his soft voice, but when his mouth formed a word it was one she'd seen enough times to know precisely what he was saying.

' _Skye.'_

Skye blinked and recoiled in surprise. Ok... maybe he  _could_ see her, if it was some kind of tech illusion keeping her from being visible in the first place and not a mirror, perhaps his static could have shorted the thing out.

Of  _course_ it couldn't have unlocked her door, she thought bitterly, but… this wasn't too bad. Better than nothing at least.

Unable to hide her smile at the unexpected information, Skye beckoned him over.

"You have to get the door open!" she tried to convey, but he made it clear that her words weren't getting through. She attempted to make hand motions, telling him that he needed to get outside the arena and unlock the door for her. His face remained puzzled, making it clear her attempts at explanation were not working, when his face abruptly morphed. But not into understanding. It descended into a horror struck expression. He said her name again, this time the word holding an ominous, worried tone along with it; she could tell without hearing a decibel, as he stared just over her shoulder.

Skye about faced to see the door to the room had already opened. Another guard, tall and formidable looking, stood in the threshold.

Skye glared. "You can see what I did to your friend there. Do you really wanna be next?"

It was difficult to tell where exactly the guard's gaze was focused through the mask that covered his face. But if she had to guess, she'd bet her money on the fact that he was staring directly at her.

He reached into the chest of his uniform and Skye tensed. She'd checked the currently immobilized guard and he hadn't had a gun, but if others did that would most likely be where it was kept in order to remain hidden. And despite her combat training, there wasn't much she could do if he decided to shoot her.

He whipped his hand out quickly and Skye had to squint to see what it was. It… sort of resembled a weapon, but Skye genuinely didn't take take too long to overanalyze as one thing about the object took precedent over anything else: the SHIELD insignia.

"Oh, thank god; it's you," she breathed in relief, rushing towards him at his beckoning and following him outside the room.

Even though the tunnels they currently moved through were slightly below the crowds, Skye could hear the disarray going on above them much clearer once she stepped out of the room.

"You got a plan?" she asked the SHIELD agent. "Cause I'm not exactly sure how to get out of here."

He nodded once and held out the object he'd shown her earlier, as though presenting it to her as a gift.

"What's that?" Skye asked. It appeared to be some sort of Taser, if she had to guess.

The man shook it, not hiding his impatience.

"Um… do you even speak?" she asked. His helmet just stared back at her blankly, as most helmets would.

She thought she heard a frustrated sigh as he grabbed her arm and placed the item against her hand.

Skye groaned suddenly as freckled pain erupted like cinders falling to her skin from a fire. As though electricity was chewing into her. Her stomach did somersaults and she thought might throw up.

A few seconds later, it was over.

"What the hell?" Skye exclaimed as she panted, glancing over her hand. "Why would you-"

The man pulled across his hand with the other's fingertips, as though playing a charade. Skye tilted her head. Puzzlement crowded her mind at what he was trying to convey, but she drew her head up as understanding graced her.

Skye began yanking at her inhibitor glove. It still tugged at her skin, but much less than any of the other times she'd tried. An animal trying to keep its jaw tight around food that was halfway free.

She had to just rip it off eventually, eliciting a gasp. A few tendrils had been torn from the glove and remained poking out of her skin. But mainly, to her glee, she could just see her free bleeding hand.

"So  _that'_ s your plan?" Skye asked, motioning to her arm. The man bowed his head to confirm. "Can you do it to my other hand?"

He gestured a negative, then putting up a single finger.

_One charge._

At least she figured that's what he meant. Why SHIELD would send in a mute agent when speaking seemed pretty significant in the situation, she had no idea. There must have been a reason for his silence.

"Skye!" Lincoln cried out, running up to them. He immediately took up a place at her side, glaring daggers at the new player. "Keep away from her."

"No, Lincoln. He's the one who helped us. The notes."

"I heard you shouting!"

"Look!" Skye said, holding up her hand.

Which kind of appeared as though it had been shot by many tiny bullets.

"Ok, ignoring the blood," she stated at Lincoln's overtly horrified face, "notice anything else?"

"Your glove's gone."

"So I can use my power in this hand!" she said the thought he most likely had already discerned out loud. Never hurt to be thorough.

A subtle sound of uncoordinated marching began echoing through the walls, causing all three to turn. Shadows with heads that matched the guards' helmets were working their way towards them.

"And not a moment too soon…" Lincoln mumbled.

"Right," Skye said, readying her stance and raising her hand to attack. She was all mentally prepped and good to go, but an insistent hand on her shoulder caused her to turn around, reluctantly.

The guard was shaking his head at her, gesturing towards the opposite direction.

"He's right, Skye," Lincoln said. "You can't take them all, especially one handed. And maybe there's an exit…?"

The man bent his head in concurrence as Lincoln had intentionally directed his question to him.

"Then let's go." Lincoln grabbed Skye's gloved hand, but she had planted her feet slowly.

"No. If they make it back to the Courtyard now, half of the prisoners won't make it out."

"There's way more of them than there are of the guards!" Lincoln protested.

"Do you think that matters?" Skye hissed. "These are people who've been beaten down and terrorized. Along with the fact that some of them have relied on powers for the majority of their lives that they still can't use, while the guards have  _weapons_ , they don't stand a chance without a head start."

She allowed Lincoln to mull over the information and turned herself to face the SHIELD agent. "You have to direct these people. Get them out as fast as you can. I don't care if this is supposed to be a rescue mission or whatever your parameters are, get the civilians  _out."_

The agent shook his head, a firm negative.

"That's an order," Skye growled, not knowing if she had any authority over this person given the fact that she didn't have a clue who it was. Definitely a guy, based on build. Not Hunter though, he'd be too short. She figured it was one of their field agents, and she could pull rank on most of them.

But damn, he was persistent. He grabbed Skye's shoulder and began tugging her along.

"I said go!" she shouted, and thrust out her palm.

And an accompanying blast.

She didn't mean to do it. Ok, so she meant to do it a little, like a nudge. She certainly didn't mean for her powers to send him flying across the hallway and sliding on the floor ten feet. The containment of her hands had really mucked with her self-control.

But  _they_  were coming and she didn't have time to grovel for forgiveness.

"Lincoln, make sure he's ok."

Lincoln nodded and jogged away, leaving Skye to prepare herself for the massive crowd coming to take them down.

There had to be… at least twenty-five guys coming. Was this everyone that worked here? She didn't see Kane, but of course he probably removed himself before his 'possessions' began fighting back.

Still, Skye felt her stomach do a flip. She had never taken on so many at once and now she was one-handed. It wasn't like the woods when a bullet had been flying at her, where she could let it all go. They could be deep underground for all she knew. She needed to hold onto control.

And after what she'd just done to that SHIELD agent, she wasn't sure that was completely in the cards.

She started blasting, trying to do one by one at first. She wiped out three men who were sent back and hit the wall. She attempted shaking the ground to throw them off their feet, which worked mostly.

Except unlike the creepy guard still tied up in Box Three,  _they_  seemed to have acquired guns.

Tranquilizer guns, but it meant she didn't have the complete advantage with distance anymore.

Continuing to quake and slow them (maybe taking out a few), she turned around to get to Lincoln. He was helping the undercover SHIELD agent up, the man's hand draped around Lincoln's shoulders. For some reason Skye couldn't wrap her head around, he seemed to be resisting the Inhuman's help.

"I need my helmet!"

"It's shattered!" Lincoln protested.

"I need it," he growled in a feral tone. Skye eyed the ruined headpiece lying off to the side. Seeing it was clearly irreparable, she ran forward to help Lincoln.

"Change of plans, we need to go and regrou-"

Skye stopped. Talking. Thinking. She was just in plain awe at who was before her.

Ward had shown up  _again_ , this time instead of remaining her taunting audience member from the crowd or her damn buyer, he was her savior.

Skye's head spun.

The fact that she hadn't recognized his voice was near unfathomable. Though she  _did_  have some fairly large distractions, fighting for her life and whatnot. Still.

"Lincoln, drop him."

"What? You hurt him-"

"Lincoln he's dangerous! Move, now!"

Her friend let Ward crumble to the floor, though Skye was certain he could have done something to stop the Inhuman from moving away. Hold him hostage against Skye, maybe.

Skye walked briskly up to Ward, shaking more than just the ground now. She was vaguely aware of Lincoln trying to alert her of the oncoming guards around the corner, but she couldn't think to care.

"You… why?" she snarled. "What the hell? Was this all a trick! Some farce to make me think I was rescued?"

"No," he rasped. Skye must have knocked the wind out of him.

_Good._

"Skye, I want to take you home."

She scoffed, her lip quivering with rage. "You tortured my friend. You almost  _killed_  my friends, May! All that B.S. on the BUS before the mission, about how we'd made a good team…"

"And you followed it up with how you were happy you shot me!" he growled back.

"Because I am." Her face darkened as her hand subtly raised. "I just should have aimed for the  _head_."

She pushed on that final word and Ward went flying once again. She heard him crack against the wall.

His eyes were closed. There was blood.

She couldn't tell if he was breathing.

Lincoln began pulling her along. "I don't know what  _that_  was about, but we need to get out of here."

"That was Ward," Skye said in a stupor. "The Hydra agent on our team. He saw me in the pit and waved like some sadistic freak; then Kane had me on the market and Ward freaking  _bought_  me-"

" _Bought_  you? What does that even-  _and_ he was there during your fight?" Lincoln asked incredulously as they hurried along. "Why didn't you tell me any of this!"

"I didn't want to!" Skye exclaimed. "I… I just wanted to forget he had ever been here."

He sighed. "You've been hiding- Jesus, whatever. It's not that important now. I just don't know if anything he said was true if he's got some grudge against you."

Skye couldn't help but agree. The way he waved to her during the fight… teasing and taunting her when she'd been drugged and could barely speak back. Maybe this was just another way for him to humiliate her, like he did to Bobbi.

The pair continued through the compound, rounding another corner in the seemingly endless hallways.

"Or… it worked perfectly," Lincoln conceded, staring at the sight in front of them.

All the gifteds were running out the door, and not very nicely at that. There was pushing, shoving, maybe even trampling. Skye didn't recognize many of the people to be ones that had antagonized her during their stay in this place, drawing the conclusion that they had been even more brutal in order to be the first ones out.

Raina was walking hurriedly but not attempting to be harsh. She was one of the broken ones, at least in Skye's mind. Skye even saw Naja, who was a  _bit_  more pushy, waltz right out the door.

Skye and Lincoln were still a hallway away from their salvation, but the distance was nothing a quick jog couldn't fix. Not much was more inspiring for physical activity than getting out of this place.

They began to sprint. Skye looked left to see the long hallway that she knew to be one of two that led to the Courtyard, sincerely wishing to never see that place again.

It was about halfway to the door that Skye could see sunlight. She hadn't seen sunlight in weeks. The golden lines teasing her through the door never had appeared so inviting. She'd sat for days on her computer inside her van or the BUS in the past, but she vowed in this small moment to never let her vitamin D drop so low again.

She was so excited she barely paid mind to the fact that they really had no plan of what to do once they were out. Who knew where this place was? Fortunately, there was a sufficient amount of people and few enough guards that most of them had a fair chance of getting away.

But as they passed another hallway, on their right this time, Skye felt a prick on her neck.

Her elation dropped like lead in water.

She slowed to a stop, her responses gradually delaying like the air had turned to gelatin. Skye's fingers pressed to her neck and pulled out the dart, examining it.

Then she plopped to her knees, and finally her back.

"Skye!" Lincoln shouted from ahead of her. He turned around to her aid. She wanted to scream at him,  _keep going!_  But she no longer had the ability, and a mere moment later she'd lost her chance.

There was a dart spouting from his arm.

Seconds later later he was falling right down next to her, but another movement caught Skye's eye that concerned her even more than Lincoln's inability to move beside her.

Kane.

He swept into her vision, all the more paramount as he towered over her body. Whatever was in that dart, it felt as though it was turning her blood to stone as she found herself less and less able to even budge her muscles with every moment that passed.

Skye tried, so laboriously and so hard, just to raise her hand to him for a final burst of her power to knock him into next Wednesday.

She had it up merely inch when he crushed her fingers beneath his hand, the deep pin pricked cuts from the inhibitor gloves multiplying the pain as she silently screamed.

Of course it was silent. Her mouth wouldn't move.

"Screw…you," Lincoln panted beside her, causing Kane to find interest in him. It was a disgusting interest, like intrigue at a mouse trying to fight back the inevitable death a cat has promised him with, but it made the man take his foot off Skye's hand. For that, she found herself quite grateful.

"You cut me deep, kid," he said playfully, bending over so his face was hovering inches above Lincoln's. "But not as much as when you destroyed my entire  _establishment_!" He threw a harsh kick at Lincoln's side. "People don't trust the security. Half of my creatures are gone, I don't have nearly enough guards to get them back! Do you realize I may never be able to  _reopen_?"

After his rage-filled explanation, Kane began thrashing out at her friend. Punching over and over. To Skye's horror, she realized the man had even brought over one of the batons the guards used. The kind that  _shocked._  She heard the crackle of electricity but no sounds of discomfort that usually partnered with it, and she knew Lincoln had become completely immobile as well.

Skye tried to blink away tears but her eyelids had stopped responding now, and they pooled over. To her shame, it was just a few moments later that she found she couldn't look at him anymore, her eyes drifting though no other part of her body was capable.

She was able to see the door, all the people still escaping. She could at least take solace in that. Kane was too preoccupied with hurting them to catch more of the others. Though, his guards were probably on the case...

Raina had finally made it to the front of the line. When her gaze caught Skye's, she visibly gasped. And stared.

Skye wondered if she could help them. Would she try? She was strong, maybe her inhibitor only took away her visions.

But such a vain hope was not even given the courtesy to linger long, as Raina followed the others out the door not even five seconds later.

Kane flipped himself up so his hair moved to the side flamboyantly, reminding Skye of a Disney villain if she weren't sure he belonged more in the original fairy tales. Lincoln was deathly still, remaining unable to react to the beating.

At some point guards had gone passed them.

Kane turned his attention once again to Skye. She was mortified at his leer, knowing her eyes were burning, watering.

Knowing that she failed.

"It's the same paralytic I used when we first met, did you realize?" he asked, fully aware that she couldn't answer. "I thought it would be fitting, so you could see exactly where I'm taking you." He chuckled. "I'm not entirely sure where that will be, but you can be sure it won't be pleasant."

Skye wanted to hold Lincoln's hand. Turn to him for reassurance. Something,  _anything_ for comfort, even if it was completely undignified for a SHIELD agent. In any case, she couldn't move, her eyes glued to what was above and before her. She couldn't so much as glance at how Lincoln was faring.

Kane tapped a finger to his chin. "But then I thought… you know what? Surprises are so much more fun."

She felt another needle against her neck, and indubitably knew it to be a syringe this time. Her worthless arms remained at her sides.

He waggled his fingers at her. "Goodnight, Quake," he sang as though speaking fondly to a pet, while her eyes unwillingly shut together. Like they were complying. "Hope you have sweet dreams. By the time you wake up, I'll have you all set up in a new nightmare."

She didn't have a moment to be disgusted by him using the name he picked out for her. To process his horrifying words. To let it sink in that her  _only_ chance at escape had failed. She just drifted off.

And Skye didn't dream at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you Athanasios Hallas, bozaq, and emilia_kaisa for the comments!!!! 
> 
> So sorry about this chapter... it was painful xD But maybe you guys figured as this was still 7 months ago, it wasn't gonna go well...


	20. ...and the Lion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye, Bobbi and Simmons pay Ward a visit.

_**Present Day** _

Ward would love to have said that Skye being the first person to walk into the interrogation room was a surprise. Just to shake things up from the complete predictability of these people.

Of course, this would be a lie. Her actions were as foreseeable as the outcome of a sparring match between a cat and mouse.

It wasn't a shock to see she wasn't holding up well. Hair in disarray and anger splayed on her face. She whipped out the chair in front of the interrogation table he was chained to, plopping into it as though she weighed ten times more than she did.

He sighed. "I take it Coulson doesn't know you're here? With the way you look now… well, he wouldn't want you getting any more upset by speaking with me."

"How about you shut up and listen until I say it's ok to talk, you got it?" she hissed.

He couldn't help but smile. "Looks like old times, huh?"

"Guess so. Because apparently, you're incapable of being anything more than a  _jerk_."

"Ah," he said, wagging a knowing finger in her face. "But you are aware I'm not a prisoner, right? Not really. I gave myself up to help."

"Sure, I'm aware. Not that I understand  _why_ you did it," she spat. "Want to explain it to me?"

He leaned in close and she flinched back with disgust, clear as day. "Contrary to what you've made yourself believe, I like helping people, Skye. But... people who deserve it."

She shook her head, as though trying to dispel the thought away through sheer disbelief. "And what determines that, pray tell?"

Ward stretched back in his chair, crossing his arms as far as they could go. "Well, that is a good question. I've never really pinpointed it, you know? There's a lot of different reasons."

She didn't like that answer he figured from her clearly annoyed eye roll.

"You helped Agent Thirty… you helped  _Kara,_  in your own twisted way. What made her deserve it?"

"How about the sheer fact that she  _didn't_ deserve what happened to her. She needed retribution in order to move on."

"By torturing an agent? You can't heal through someone else's pain!"

Ward blinked. "Why not? It helped me heal."

Skye looked near desperate. Desperate and sad, so abruptly. "It didn't help you heal Ward, it made you crazy," she said, as gently as that sentence could go. "You're numb now, and confused. Garrett manipulated you until you weren't making your own decisions anymore. For so long you probably didn't even fathom how to pick right from wrong! When he died, it didn't heal you. He left you  _broken,"_  she choked off.

Ward was about to snap back. Say how if he were broken and she'd known it, why didn't SHIELD try to help fix him?

But then he realized.

"I don't think I'm the broken one here, Skye," he said, with a cocky head tilt. For show.

"You're right," she said, determinedly looking away from him. "But you tried to help me. Why?"

"Well, it certainly wasn't because you tried to help me when I was down and out, was it?"

"No, it wasn't," she said through gritted teeth. "Look, I get that I probably should have given you a chance after everything you went through. That doesn't give you license to blame me for your actions! That I deserve to be punished or admit my sins for your own sick sense of closure."

He chuckled at that. God, she was naive sometimes. "Skye, whether you like it or not, you just  _did_  admit them. And to be honest…" He looked her up and down, "I think you've been punished enough. Right?"

"Why were you there?" she demanded, so flat and cold it nearly sounded more like an order than a question.

"Because I needed to be," he replied evenly.

Skye's lip twitched. "That doesn't make…  _sense_!"

"I tried to rescue you because you didn't deserve to be there anymore."

"Oh, so now  _I_ make the list."

"Because you lost something. When people have something taken from them, they should get something for it. It's not fair."

"Life's not fair, you absolute  _child_! My god…" Skye pushed up from the seat in upset. "People are constantly being… influenced by others, but it's up to them to make their own choices."

Skye tapped the chair nervously and Ward could tell she was holding back. He inclined his head to listen, but said nothing.

And he was right.

"When I was fifteen I was offered alcohol by a college kid, got wasted, and ended up in juvie for the night," poured out of Skye's mouth. "Why didn't they make  _him_  pay my bail, huh? I mean, that was one hundred percent his fault, right?"

Ward scoffed.

What a ridiculous comparison. Skye hadn't been manipulated, just stupid. It was of course  _partially_ the kid's fault, but she'd made the decision completely aware of her own actions.

It wasn't as though he'd spent months conditioning her.

"Or how about when I was thirteen. My foster dad used to cop a feel under my shirt every time he gave me a hug. Not as bad as being forced to throw my little brother down a well, though I'm not entirely sure that happened…"

"It  _did_ -"

"But I also didn't go crazy and kill the guy!"

"Skye, if that happened… he deserves to be in jail. That's not just my opinion. That's the law, because even the government is aware people deserve punishment."

She pursed her lips.

"So don't you see?" he continued. "These things are what gives victims the closure to move on. But in our business, it's easier to cut out the middleman and just… enforce your own closure. That's exactly why I had Kane pick you and Lincoln up."

Skye stilled into a statue so quickly Ward thought something may have been wrong with her. A prolonged breakdown finally causing her to black out. She didn't move, didn't twitch. She was just another object in the room.

Finally,  _finally,_ she swerved her head in an eerily slow motion towards him.

" _What_?" she growled out, low and feral and slow.

"Right, I didn't mention yet," Ward said. "I gave your location to Tobias. I mean, what better way for you to see what I've been through than being put through the same thing? Being the cause of your friend's pain. Manipulated into doing inhuman things," he explained, unable to read Skye's face as he did so. " _That's_  why you deserved to be rescued. I figured a couple weeks was enough time to learn your lesson. And your understanding helped  _me_  heal." He smiled. "No death necessary."

Skye sort of choked, eyes wide.

"I wasn't there a couple weeks," she hissed, eyes on fire and rage held in the back of her throat. "I was gone for eight months you bastard!"

"I know." He sighed. "I failed and… I'm so sorry."

He truly was remorseful. That was not how things were supposed to go down.

Skye didn't seem too affected by his apology.

"You're  _sorry?"_ She chuckled darkly. "Well, I guess in kindergarten-land that makes it all A-ok, doesn't it!"

"No. We  _were_  even, but I guess… now I owe you. I already started to repay my debt by helping to get you back."

" _What?"_  she asked in disbelief.

"You shot me. Didn't give me a chance. SHIELD killed Kara," he said bitterly. "A little imprisonment was deserved, just like I don't regret SHIELD locking me up because that was deserved too. I made sure I was around so you were ok."

"You made- you bought me like I was an item at a Chinese auction!"

"For your protection," he defended.

"Oh yeah, and I bet that big show you put on was for my protection too."

He shrugged. "Undercover. I get into character."

Skye was shaking. Visibly. Vibrations rattled off her skin and he was so sure she was going to pounce.

"I got an idea," she snarled, raising her hand. Ward could already feel his body begin to be manipulated. "How about we invoke some of that  _closure_  you're so keen on-"

Morse and Simmons burst in.

Skye hastily increased the force she was already pushing onto him, and for a few brief moments Ward felt his entire being grow unsteady. Quivering at the core until he thought he'd be sick. Until he was sure he'd erupt from the inside out.

Then it stopped.

"Hey, calm down, he's not worth it," Simmons said to Skye, clutching the girl's hands tenderly.

Morse had an ICER on Ward. He regained his composure quickly, hiding the panting he'd been displaying just a moment earlier.

"Well, if it isn't my three attempted murderesses, all together." He grinned.

"Oh don't worry," started Simmons sweetly. "You'll be able to lose the first part of that phrase sometime, I'm sure." She laughed, and if Ward didn't know Simmons better (or if he was capable of fear by threats, really) he would have been scared by the tone of her chuckles. "Oh, how silly of me. You won't be able to say anything then."

Ward whistled in awe. "When did you get so dark?"

"Right about the time you threw me off a plane."

"Huh. Touche."

Simmons hurried to huddle into the other two. "I don't like this," she said. "He's too cocky and it's not like there's a laser grid between us here, just handcuffs."

"Yeah," Ward said curiously, " _why_  am I not in a vault?"

Of course, he didn't get an answer.

Though he did receive three salty stares.

Skye moved her head closer to the other two. "Uh, why isn't he in a vault?"

"That's where the gifteds are staying," whispered Simmons.

"Wow," said Ward. "Taken to capturing enhanced instead of just helping or killing them, huh? Brainwashing on the repertoire for SHIELD now, too?"

"They're here of their own free will!" insisted Simmons. "We just don't have anywhere to keep them. And… we don't kill gifteds."

Ward smirked, leaning his head in and directing his eyes to Skye. "Hear that? I think it's Donnie Gill from his grave at the bottom of the ocean."

Skye winced. "How do you even know about-"

"I've always said I'm resourceful."

They glared at him. Again. Quite continuously, actually.

Ward was fairly conscious of the fact that given the opportunity, at least one of these women would enjoy killing him.

And here was their chance.

He almost wanted them to do it, was daring them, because perhaps through this they could realize that him and SHIELD, even  _Hydra_  and SHIELD, were not as different as they were constantly preaching to him and everyone in earshot.

But whether one of the other two would have followed through, Skye put a wedge in the opportunity.

"C'mon. Let's find Lincoln and finish the debrief," Skye muttered to the women, then sent her gaze at Grant. "He'll be here when we're done."

Ward cocked his head. "In a hurry? Kane must not be out of the picture yet, then."

"Let's go," Skye said.

"I have information," Ward called out.

Morse was the one to become angered. "You were supposed to have told us everything already."

He shrugged. "I only ever promised I wouldn't lie to Skye. Not that I lied… just withheld. Besides, any allegiance I have or reason to help is for her. And Lincoln," he added as an afterthought. He did get that kid locked up as well.

Bobbi's nose crinkled. Ah, she was feeling ridiculed. Here she was, supposed to be the best on reading people and she didn't have a sliver of a clue that Ward had been holding back eighty percent of his intel.

She had a hard time working over people from the same cut of cloth she was made of.

"We need to find Lincoln, first things first," Simmons said, ushering the other two out of the room. They agreed in a slight reluctance, making their way passed the door.

To his surprise, Simmons remained.

"Why do you feel so indebted to Skye?" the scientist whispered, harsh and quick. "Answer me!"

"Ok, calm down. I already told you anyway; I'm the reason they were gone for so long."

She scrutinized him. Ward immediately knew that she didn't believe an ounce of what he was saying, even if it was the complete truth.

Which it was.

"You will tell me everything that you know, that you've  _done_ , and if you've hurt Skye even more than we're currently aware of? I'll make sure you're a dead man."

"Death threats lose their luster after a while, Simmons. They really only work once because… well, clearly you had no follow through."

She nearly snarled when Skye popped her head back in the room.

"Jemma! Get away from him. We thought you were following us."

"Sorry," she muttered, backing away from the table without taking her malice-filled eyes off of Ward. I just…. had to ask a question.

Morse came in and and grabbed the scientist's shoulder. "Next time, do it when someone else is around. Preferably someone with a  _lethal weapon_."

Bobbi sent him a glare and Ward couldn't help but feel complacent at the gesture. If there was one person alive in the world he detested, it was probably that woman. She'd never realized that what she'd done to Kara had been wrong.

Sure, she'd suffered, but she'd never truly learnt. The fact that everyone still thought of her as a black and white "good guy" disturbed him.

Still… she appeared affected by the events going on around her now. Even when he'd been working with Morse the day prior she hadn't seemed so shaken up; unstable.

As the three ladies left his cell, Ward recognized that not one of them was completely stable. If nothing else, they were working through something.

Perhaps Skye and Lincoln's suffering had been a teaching moment for more than just the two Inhumans themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you emilia_kaisa, bozaq, and Athanasios Hallas. Love your comments!!!


	21. The Donkey...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye and Lincoln wake up in their new containment.

_**Seven Months Ago** _

Skye awoke on some sort of bed.

Now, that wouldn't be unusual for the casual person. But Skye, being someone who had slept on a plethora of beds in her time, had become pretty good at recognizing them.

And she could not recall this one.

It was too uncomfortable for her bunk at the base, she reasoned. But of course she hadn't been at SHIELD for quite some time, had she? She'd been a prisoner in those pits. Still, this bed was much more snug than the cots at that place.

She tried to use her sense of hearing for observation before opening her eyes just yet. Wherever she was, the room lacked any sort of sound. Save for the dim hum of an air conditioner, that was.

So, in lieu of realizing she had no other way to puzzle this out, she opened her eyes.

White walls splayed before her and for a moment she believed herself to be in a medical lab. She was wearing… clothes? Normal clothes. Clothes she herself would pick out.

Could she be at a SHIELD medical facility?

Skye whipped the thin sheet off her body, cringing slightly at having to move her hands. They were bandaged. Even through the cream-colored wrappings she could tell  _both_  of her gloves had been removed.

Finally taking the time to absorb her surroundings fully, Skye found herself slightly baffled. She was in… well, it appeared to be a hotel room that had skimped on the décor. The walls were blank and bare, but there was also a desk, couch, bed, and mini-fridge. A toilet and sink were buried off to the side in a corner cut of the wall. A stranger addition was a bit of raised floor, about three feet off the ground, behind her. Sort of like a bayside window without the window part. There was a door in its stead.

The room had three walls with one side completely left open to a large hallway. Skye peered out, noting it was full of other rooms just like hers.

Well, not  _just_  like hers.

Most of them did not even house live beings. One did hold a leopard, prowling and pacing as though it were at any zoo and bored of its mind, but many were just rooms full of objects. Most had an ancient vibe pulsing off of them, like they were a part of ruins or something. And was that… a Diviner?

Even with the bizarre collection Skye was noticing, the most startling thing in these strange rooms was the man lying unconscious probably twenty feet in front of her. He was sprawled out, not even bothered to have been placed on the bed as he had been set on the odd raised space in the back of his room.

She ran for him immediately. Wherever they were, these people were stupid enough to leave part of the wall wide ope-

"Ow!" Skye exclaimed, toppling over backwards. She landed on her rump, wincing at the pain running into the invisible wall had caused her nose.

Hindsight now 20/20, Skye quickly decided  _she_  was the stupid one. She'd literally just come from a place where their boundaries were a telepathic field that activated chips in their brains. She should have expected anything.

Just as Skye was rubbing her presumably bruised nose, a light from the ceiling attracted her attention. It began blinking blue.

"Do not attempt to injure yourself, Quake," a robotic and monotone woman's voice rang out from the light. "You are now property of Tivan, Tanaleer, on his Earth-based museum. We would like no visible lacerations on your body."

Skye brushed herself off, putting a little effort into not being spooked by the mechanical voice speaking to her. "Ok one, if you don't want people running into walls maybe don't make them  _invisible_. Two, I never have and never will be the property of anyone. Number three and lastly, my name is not freaking  _Quake!"_

Skye was seething, her hands tensed into fists. It came to her attention she was becoming considerably heated for yelling at a light on the wall.

The thing beeped a few times, like it was thinking, or searching its database.

"The wall is imperceptible for the viewing pleasure of our visitors," the voice informed her. Suddenly, a screen that had been too far over on on the outside of Skye's enclosure for her to see floated through the air, stopping just before her. Like a holographic screen. The screen blinked blue, bringing up windows that held the text of "Kane, Tobias", plus a picture of the very man, pearly whites gleaming through a narcissistic smile.

"Data shows Alias: Quake has been property of Kane, Tobias for thirty-eight days," continued the increasingly grating voice of the woman. "Alias: Quake sold to Tivan, Tanaleer three days prior to this day. Alias: Quake has been classified as property for total of forty-one days. No release in the foreseeable future."

Skye could have done a lot of things with that lovely dollop of information. Cried, screamed, ran around in circles out of sheer frustration. Dwelled on the unsettling fact that they had kept her unconscious for  _days_. But one thing in particular seemed to bug her more than any other crap this robot was spewing.

"My name is  _not_ Quake!" she screeched, sending up a blast from her palm at the infuriating light.

Her power hit another force field, similar to the one her nose had contact with just a few moments earlier. It crackled and shook as it became visible for brief seconds, but otherwise, the attack had been harmless.

The light beeped at her as the screen before her flickered. It was basically the robot version of " _yeah, that didn't bother me a bit,"_ causing Skye's anger to dial up some notches.

New pictures replaced the old. Creepy thing being that all the photos were of her. There was the picture of Skye with Cal when she'd been a baby, her elementary school photo from around Second or Third grade, a selfie she'd taken with Fitzsimmons just after the Akela Amador incident, and… a picture of her fighting Creel.

The last image was the one that took her off-guard. She looked… feral. Teeth bared and scrappy. That had only been after four days of being at the place and she had just been all cleaned up. But she'd also been starved and angry and beaten, and it showed.

Clearly.

"Previous aliases for 'Quake': Daisy Johnson, Mary-Sue Poots, Skye."

"And it's still Skye," she mumbled to the voice, wondering if this was an artificial intelligence or some person typing somewhere. The way she spoke, Skye assumed A.I.

"Kane, Tobias has signed over rights as Alias: Quake. Alias: Quake is how System: CAMI is to refer to this subject."

"Your name is CAMI?" Skye asked.

"Quake may refer to this system with this moniker."

"So you're an A.I.? Like Tony Stark's JARVIS?"

She beeped. "This is irrelevant information for Quake."

Skye was in the middle of groaning out of pure irritation and resentment when a beam of blue light interrupted her pity party. It began scanning her little enclosure, raking up and down her body.

"Quake's blood sugar: low. Quake's nutrition level: low. Quake's hydration level: low. Quake's-"

"I get it! They don't exactly feed me properly."

Skye winced at her own wording.  _They don't feed me..._

She really was starting to sound like some owned animal.

"I mean…" she began amending, "it's not like they give their prisoners much food."

That wasn't much better. But 'feed me' made it sound like she was a toddler who needed to be given her mushy spinach on a spoon playing rocket ship.

"Quake will find food in refrigerator. Quake is to eat and fulfill nutritional needs. Quake has a viewing at eighteen o'clock, this evening."

_Viewing?_

"What the hell does that mean? Ow!"

Skye looked down at her arm. It wasn't red or anything, but she could have sworn she felt a little shock there. Maybe even saw electricity come from that blue light…

"Profanity is not permitted."

Skye's mouth shot open with disbelief, her arms crossing. "You've got to be kidding me," she deadpanned.

"System: CAMI does not 'kid'. It is not in her programming."

Skye glanced over at Lincoln, who had been worryingly still during her whole conversation with… CAMI.

"Why isn't he up?"

"Alias: Static endured frequent injuries. Static must rest longer than Qua-." CAMI's voice began to get cut off, her robotic tone mangled as the blue lights flashed red.

"What the hel… heck?" Skye questioned.

With a small beep, she returned to her blue hue.

"CAMI's settings have been restricted. Quake may not be permitted certain information on Static," she stated.

_So someone was watching, and someone didn't want her asking about Lincoln._

"Priority directive: Quake to replenish nutrition."

Then the light blipped off.

"Wait!" Skye shouted, running up to the light naively. She called for it to come back, feeling incredibly foolish as it remained still and silent.

She was trying to get the attention of a talking light, so she'd probably feel fairly foolish whether it answered or not.

Skye hugged herself, suddenly feeling very alone in her prison cell. She wanted Lincoln to wake up, to smile at her.

But even if he did, she couldn't take his hand. Hug him for reassurance. She knew she was a field agent and such actions weren't exactly normal. It was just that… while they were at the fights, they'd learned to draw comfort from one another.

The A.I. had called this place a museum… and had said Skye had  _viewing_ tonight, whatever that meant.

Skye tried to make something productive from her isolation and began inspecting the boundaries, though as expected, she found no cracks or faults. She used her gift on every inch of it, only ending in the same electronic crackle that showed no wear and tear in the actual force-field.

Skye stood in the middle of the room, at a loss of what to do before finally walking over to the fridge.

It held perfectly nutritional options, fruit and veggies and meat, water and milk, with just a little bit of bread. Much better than the crap they'd fed them in the pits, but clearly nothing for her enjoyment such as desserts. It was only to keep up her health. They certainly wanted her alive and well. This was probably a strange sort of information to cause a person fear, but Skye was frightened all the same.

She considered taking an apple, though decided against it. Despite how hungry and thirsty she knew she was, she didn't think she could keep it down.

So she just lay on the bed and crawled up on her side, staring at the only comforting sight in the vicinity: the steady rise and fall of Lincoln's chest.

* * *

Lincoln awoke to a deafening, not to mention annoying, alarm.

"Ah!" he shouted in a panic, sitting up abruptly from his uncomfortable sleeping place. It was just a little ledge.

He had to try and get that under control, if he was ever going to learn stealth like Skye. Waking up screaming certainly wasn't very pro-espionage.

But of course, he wasn't even sure he would return to SHIELD if he ever did get out of this. Wasn't that the reason he was here in the first place?

"Alias: Static cannot rest any longer," a voice rang out. "Static is to eat, in preparation for his viewing in one hour."

Lincoln was groggy at best, trying to find the origin of the voice. It sounded robotic. He looked up just as a turquoise light from the ceiling clicked off and figured it had come from a speaker.

He put a hand to his head only to realize his stomach hurt just as bad. Kane had held the Taser there for a while, and he was sure if he looked it would hold some sort of bruise.

At the same time… when Kane was shocking him, he felt more and more powerful. If he hadn't been paralyzed, Lincoln wondered if his gift could have packed an extra-heavy punch.

Actually, more of his body hurt than it didn't, he realized as his hands also pricked with heat. They were wrapped in gauze, and no trace of the rubber gloves that had been ingrained into his skin remained.

Lincoln stood warily, taking in his surroundings. There was a bed and a couch just a few feet away. Whoever had plopped him in here couldn't have thought to put him on one of those?

The light suddenly blipped back on.

"Static will eat."

"' _Static'_  is waking up from just being tortured," he snapped at the random voice. "And he's gonna take his time doing whatever he feels like."

"Static was last punished three days prior to this day. He should have healed significantly in this time."

Lincoln wanted to tell the damn thing to shut the hell up, but his head was pounding and his stomach was aching. The last thing he felt like doing was eating, to be honest. It didn't even feel like the inside of his stomach could handle anything.

He pushed himself up to stand, staring out at this new place.

Skye was there.

She was smiling ruefully at him, granting him a small wave once she'd seen he caught her eye.

Lincoln couldn't even muster up a smile. Their escape plan had failed, pretty obviously. And while they had had around a month to observe their last containment, he had no idea what this new place held.

They were back to square one.

Skye was just twenty feet away from him, but in her own little room. He wondered why she wasn't coming towards him.

Tentatively, he inspected the boundary that almost seemed as though it should have held a solid wall. Skye began shaking her head adamantly. He instantly knew it was clearly a bad idea to cross it.

"What's going on?" he tried to shout to her. Her face fell once again, she appeared to be sighing, as she motioned to her ears and shrugged. Lincoln could tell he couldn't hear her from the way his voice echoed before him, anyway.

From casual observances, this place was actually nicer than the last if these were their barracks. They got full rooms to themselves. If they were allowed a common area as in the fights, it would be much improved. He certainly hoped there was; Lincoln didn't have a prayer of getting out of there without help from Skye.

The blue light rang out once again. "Static will eat and drink from the refrigerator, or he will be reprimanded."

"Fine," he huffed. Honestly, he was sick of getting hurt. He was tired of trying to act brave through it. Plus, he was admittedly a little curious about the food supply here.

He grabbed a drumstick and took a large bite out of it, showing the eaten piece of meat to the light. "Happy?" he asked through his chewing.

"System: CAMI does not feel emotions. But this system's protocol to have Static eat has been fulfilled."

"No emotions… but a name?"

"Most objects are labeled on this planet. This system is labeled for convenience."

Lincoln swallowed his chicken, eying the light - slash - voice warily. "Sure."

When the light turned off once again Lincoln glanced back to Skye. She was kicking her feet over the side of her bed nervously, like she was waiting or expecting something to happen. Though her eyes were locked over at him.

What else were they supposed to look at though?

Well, there were some interesting things in the place actually. Just next to Skye's cell was another creature and Lincoln wasn't sure how he didn't see it right away, given the fact it was a  _Rhino._  Alive and moving.

God, he wanted to talk to Skye. How long had she been awake, and what was she so nervous for?

Then he remembered that thing's first words: he had a viewing in an hour. What the hell was a viewing?

Whatever it was, they wanted him good and fed for it. Maybe that meant they wanted him in good health.

He was still in the middle of fully observing what was meant to serve as his new "home", when he heard incredibly muffled voices. Lincoln stopped his exploring to see what they were as Skye hopped off her small bed to do the same.

A crowd of people were coming closer. A woman, thin as a twig with dirty blonde hair restrained in a tight bun led the small group of perhaps five people.

People, perhaps, but they didn't look entirely human.

They could have been Inhumans, but three of them sporting the exact same skin colorations gave Lincoln doubts. Blue, with each having a different sort of symbol on their faces. The other two were bright green with jet black eyes.

Skye and Lincoln's apprehensiveness was a river as it wove through the space between them.

Once the crowd of aliens and their (apparently) human tour guide got over to them, Lincoln was able to see the woman's blatant and fake smile on her face. He glared at the group, but they laughed and spoke to themselves so that Lincoln only heard their voices as incomprehensive mumbles. He wasn't positive he'd have been able to hear them if they were speaking at full volume, though.

The woman seemed to introduce him, moving over a floating screen with the tap of her fingers to the front of his enclosure. Lincoln could see backwards text through what appeared to be holographic monitor. Information about him.

He was tempted to leave these people just to get the riled up. Similar to how someone would be frustrated when an animal would be sleeping and hidden at the zoo. But to do such would be comparing himself to an animal, and he wasn't that low yet.

Instead he just focused passed them and on Skye, who was peering at him, trying to smile reassuringly. She wasn't doing a very good job.

The blue light blinked on, and Lincoln dreaded whatever information or command was coming.

"Static will present his gift to the visitors," said CAMI, just as something large began rising out of a hatch on the ground. They were some sort of metal rods.

Lightning rods.

It was clear to Lincoln what was expected of him and it would be easy enough to comply to such, but Skye wouldn't like it. Hell, he wouldn't like it either. But Skye seemed to think giving in to these people in any capacity was a bad thing.

He'd understood before, when to listen to them meant hurting people who didn't deserve it. But what good did getting hurt for not shocking a couple rods do? They already had him captured. If being in the pits taught him anything, it was that he was going to be there a while, and during his stay, anytime he fought back he would be reprimanded. Injured.

Again, Lincoln was sick as hell of being hurt.

Skye was glaring with so much contempt at the people observing him, he wasn't entirely sure they wouldn't burst into flames from her extract of anger. He was glad she was focused on them in the moment, though. He didn't want her to watch him.

Lincoln raised his hand, sending shocks between each of the rods so they danced with colors and worked off each other beautifully, small sparks rising out of them. This pleased the now awe-inspired crowd, smiles lit on their faces that were illuminated by his gift. One man in the back nodded lightly in approval.

CAMI told him he could stop and so he did, retreating back to the provided bed as the audience discussed his put-on show.

Maybe he  _was_  just some circus animal.

The tour guide continued explaining and Lincoln deciphered the backwards letters on the sign.  _Species: Inhuman,_  it said. Lincoln wondered if they were being viewed to be bid on as Skye had spoken about, but the context clues abruptly added up in his mind and the true answer became abundantly clear.

They were zoo exhibits.

Or museum, maybe, considering many of the artifacts in here were not living creatures. That almost seemed worse, as though they were lowered to the same level as inanimate objects.

He was consciously avoiding Skye at first, but when he eventually found the gall to face her, her head was down. Avoiding  _him._

She was ashamed of him.

He'd known she would be, but at this point he didn't care. In fact, he just hoped that when it was her turn, Skye would give in faster than he imagined she would. Because Lincoln didn't want to see her in pain.

But in his heart, he knew the only way to avoid such a sight would be if he turned his back to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you bozaq for the comment! I love writing creepy Ward :)
> 
> Let me know what you think of the change! Everything will connect eventually... I'm hoping for it to be around 50 chapters, and reviews help my muse... so if you like remember to leave your thoughts! Thanks to everyone who has.


	22. ...and His Masters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lincoln gets some food and Simmons gives some important findings to Coulson.

**_ **Present Day** _ **

 

"This is really good," remarked Lincoln, attempting to stuff the sandwich in his mouth even as he spoke. Coulson couldn't help but grin. Proudly.

"It's my speciality."

"He means it's the only thing he knows how to make that doesn't involve just two ingredients," May put in cheekily. She was hovering over him at the stove, even with her self-proclaimed sub-par cooking skills. Damn control freak.

Coulson was about to defend himself, but Lincoln spoke up first.

"Let me guess… milk and cereal?" he asked curiously, May nodding in agreement. The Inhuman laughed. "Hey, nothing wrong with that in my eyes. That's pretty much  _my_ specialty. Or... heating up pizza in the microwave."

"But it's not true!" Coulson said, flipping a sandwich over in the friar. "I make great Chicken Parmesan."

May scoffed. "I'll believe that when I taste it."

Phil pointed the spatula in indication. "Hey. Any more negativity out of you and I'll be making one less grilled cheese."

May shrugged as she sat down, keeping the hidden smile Phil knew to be there off her face.

It was nice to be able to treat things so lightly. No matter how much time passed, there was no way to not have a dim fog over life when you didn't know the state of two of your agents. Two people you cared about. Now that they were back that fog had begun to dissipate. They might have not been in the best condition possible, but adding some positivity to the air could only help their dismal attitudes.

Seemed to do Lincoln wonders.

He was chewing a bite slowly, brow furrowed as though mulling something over. "Actually, isn't grilled cheese only two ingredients?"

Melinda snorted. "You don't want to know everything he puts in there."

"Alright, it's official. No sandwich for you," Coulson told her sternly, but smiled to make sure she knew he was kidding. She didn't seem particularly perturbed by the information, anyhow.

"Lincoln!"

The boy's eyes burst up in shock and concern as Skye paraded into the room, flanked by Morse and Simmons.

"What are you doing? Where have you been?" she asked urgently.

Lincoln swallowed. "I was talking with Agent May…" he started nervously. "Then she asked if I was hungry and we found Coulson in the kitchen. He made me grilled cheese," Lincoln explained, almost seeming embarrassed by Phil cooking for him. "Is everything alright?"

Skye blinked and stared for a few moments. "What? Oh. Yeah, everything's… perfect," she mumbled.

Lincoln got up carefully from the table, any contentment he might have been feeling flitting away as Skye's demeanor brought him back down. He wrapped an arm around her. She flinched slightly, but curled into him little by little.

He whispered something to her. Coulson guessed reassuring words as she began to calm down somewhat.

Skye backed away, suddenly. "How's your ankle?" she asked, sounding increasingly more stable than she had just a moment earlier.

"It's uh… a dim hurt, now. Simmons had some stuff that helped."

Skye nodded. "Good."

A stagnant silence took up the room in an uncomfortable way. Phil stepped forward.

"You hungry, Skye?" he asked. "I have an extra sandwich, seeing as May will  _not_ be eating."

Coulson hoped to peak the girl's interest, have her invested in another topic. But Skye did not ask why May didn't get to eat the sandwich. She merely took a cautious step back, shaking her head.

"No. I just want to get this done. Can we finish the debrief?"

Coulson nodded. "Sure. May can finish with you," he said, vaguely noting how Bobbi moved to the corner of the room, trying to make herself appear busy and perusing the kitchen cabinets. "Lincoln, you-?"

"I'm up for it," he said strongly, increasing a grip around Skye. Protectively.

Lincoln didn't want to talk about this, Coulson knew. But he wasn't sure if he still agreed to help because it was imperative they know, or for Skye.

"Well, let's get moving," said Coulson, waving a hand in front of himself in invitation for the others to lead the way.

"Er, sir?" Simmons spoke up. "Could I borrow you for a moment?"

"Sure, Jemma," he said, not missing the extreme caution in her voice. It didn't sound good. "May, will you-"

"We'll start. Lincoln, Skye - with me."

They followed the senior agent out of the room wordlessly, though Skye did cast a curious glance back at Jemma before she was gone. Morse vacated the room as well, clearly sensing Simmons had something private to say.

Coulson sure sensed something along those lines.

"Sir, I have concerns about my findings from Lincoln and Skye's blood tests."

Uh oh. Private, and not sounding too good.

"Go on," he said.

She cleared her throat and clutched one hand onto the other apprehensively. "To start, Lincoln appears to have trace amounts of something that resembles a mutation of PCP in his system."

"The hallucinogen?"

Simmons nodded. "He could become dissociative or confused at any time. We don't know how long he was exposed or if he's even aware of it. And I've never seen this exact form of such… I'm still running a diagnostic. It seems to have been injected with other substances as a cocktail. So far, it appears a form of Ecstasy may have been in the mix as well..."

Coulson shook his head, uncomprehending. "Why? What could they possibly have been trying to do?" he asked. As dangerous as hallucinogens were, they were generally used for pleasure. "Was Skye given the same doses?"

Simmons eyes shied away downward, refusing to meet Coulson's as she spoke. "No. But I gathered extremely concerning results from her, as well."

Coulson pursed his lips, drawing in a deep breath through the nose, preparing himself for the worst.

Because if the person dosed with PCP and Ecstasy was better off, he had a feeling 'the worst' might be where Skye was at.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks emilia_kaisa, bozaq, anda AslansCompass for continued support! I love comments. If any of you are ever confused, do not hesitate to ask me!
> 
> Also... I almost posted a chapter of the other story I'm posting on here to this story. So if you ever get one that doesn't start with "present day" or "however many months ago" let me know cause I probably made a mistake xd


	23. The Woodman...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye is ordered to present her gift to the prisoners. Then, we get a glimpse into the Inhumans stay at the museum.

_**Seven Months Ago** _

Skye was utterly disgusted with her friend.

_No. No no no, you are not. You are disgusted for what these people are doing to him._

She'd watched the rods lift into his enclosure. The blue light that was similar to hers which gave them orders blinked on, so from the context clues she inferred what he was being told to do.

But she didn't expect him to just...  _do_  it.

He hadn't so much as hesitated. He'd merely sighed, appearing more like a teenager being told to put their phone away at dinner than a prisoner forced to  _perform_. Like it had been a minor inconvenience. Skye thought he had more dignity than that.

Then the people cheered and smiled like he was a common circus act. It made Skye's blood heat and she felt dark, her gaze geared determinedly at the ground so she wouldn't have to see Lincoln. So he wouldn't have to see how disappointed she was in him, because she truly  _shouldn't_  have been. It wasn't his fault.

It was just… if Lincoln lost hope, who would be her rock? They were supposed to get through this together.

The now cheerful crowd turned, making their way towards her like a horde of eager tourists. The lion part of the show was over; he'd already jumped through their demented hoops. These people wanted to see the tiger be tamed.

Not that she would give them the satisfaction.

Skye sat on her bed, still staring at the floor as their feet appeared in her peripherals. As predicted, CAMI the blue light shined down on her within moments.

"Quake will present her gift to the visitors."

Her prop ascended from the ground easily as a child's soul rising to heaven. She peered disdainfully at the object as it came, searching for a hatch she could perhaps exploit, stick something into to jam their system and find a way out. But it was as though the floor were made of gel as the item rose up straight through it. The ground glided tightly around the article as it manifested.

There was just one object, large and metal. Lincoln's had been something metallic as well, but his were thin. This was just a single large chunk. A cylinder.

Skye could feel its vibrations as she could everything on this earth now, and through such could guess its mass. Not in any sort of numeric value, but definitely somewhere in the range of 'one hell of a heavy rock."

Which she was supposed to shake.

"Quake will present her gift to the visitors," CAMI restated, and though it was the same stale voice it somehow sounded extra impatient this time.

Skye showed them her back, sitting cross-legged and stubborn on the bed. She tried not to flinch as the shock jolted her skin. She thought she did a decent job, even given how expected it had been.

"Quake will present her gift to the visitors."

"Well,  _Skye_  will do no such thing," she bit back. Skye wondered what the group of visitants' faces held: annoyance? Anger? Perhaps they were paying for this tour, and here Skye was not giving them what their hard earned cash had been poured into. Maybe the tour guide was getting all flustered on the inside, having to remain composed for her foreign guests.

Skye smirked at the thought.

She received the order and a shock time and time again. Every time the shocks increased in caliber, jumping from place to place on her body. She couldn't help but flinch now. In fact, she was having a hard time stopping herself from crying out as ugly welts began to appear.

"Quake will present her gift to the visitors," CAMI said, "or Quake will be placed in a different sector from Static."

Skye perked up in concern at the unprecedented add-on. She turned slowly, finally, just to get a look at her friend. She didn't bother to let up on clawing her own crossed arms as she dug her fingernails into the skin, ready to brace the pain.

Skye had never seen Lincoln so worried. Which was saying something, given the past few weeks of their current lives. He was pressed to the threshold of his prison, his eyes pleading,  _begging_  her just do it. To give in.

And he hadn't even heard the threat.

How could she manage to be in this place for however long and not know how he was faring? How could she do this alone?

She couldn't.

Or maybe she just wouldn't.

Another shock ran through her, an insistent nudge. It had the opposite effect they had intended, making her not want to comply yet again. She sent a glare up at the light. Which of course was  _totally_  sane.

Then, once more her eyes found Lincoln. Her resistance crumbled into dust.

May had told her in the past to do anything to stay alive in captive situations, which probably included sacrificing her dignity. Maybe this didn't have to be a bad thing. This could be the  _smart_  thing, the field agent thing. Not the proud, stubborn thing.

With that precise thought in mind she trudged forward warily. Skye wasn't aware of alien cultures, but the people before her certainly appeared impatient and annoyed.

 _Good,_  she thought near hysterically, feeling as though she was losing her mind to malice.

If she wasn't able to disobey, she'd take out all her anger on that stupid slab of metal. Gleaming at her as though it were grinning, taunting her.

Skye shook and shook it, straining her hands so she felt the small cuts under her bandages prick at her in pain. She let its particles vibrate more than she had done so ever before. This was a strong substance, to be certain. She was giving it all she had and the infuriating thing  _still_ only rattled a bit. She even sent a few mighty waves of energy that didn't do much.

Utterly pleased judging by the expression on her face, the tour guide pushed over the screen that remained to the right of Skye's cage so that it was front and center. She began explaining something. The image of the cylinder inside Skye's enclosure came up as a holographic image and just next to it was some sort of graph.

Skye almost clawed her own eyes out when she recognized it.

A damn Richter Scale.

She could only imagine what they were saying beyond the wall, based on their intrigued, smug faces. ' _Oh, look how powerful the Inhuman is. Look how she can make earthquakes and has superpowers, it's so cute and impressive!'_ Skye nearly snarled.

After enough chit-chat had been exchanged, the group walked away without so much as a backwards glance. The cylinder disappeared. A simple occurrence.

As if Skye hadn't just broke for the amusement of some…  _aliens,_  or something.

She assumed they were aliens anyway. They seemed to be a couple different species, and as to her knowledge, no two Inhumans really resembled each other so closely. But hell, for all she knew, maybe  _she_  was the one on a different planet.

That thought added some fear to her already miserable state.

Skye sniffled, trying to refuse her tears of upset and hatred that were begging for release. She hated herself. She hated herself and she hated them for making her hate herself.

She just wanted to go home.

Tears turned to rage in her mind and Skye couldn't bear to look at Lincoln. Maybe it had been smart of him not to try and fight back; hers had been such a vain response. A proud response. He'd saved himself a lot of pain as well as the humiliation of trying and failing. He probably thought she was an idiot, and she couldn't stand to see the face that would prove it so.

She got in the bed and rolled her body immediately to her side, facing away from him and towards the back wall. She closed her eyes tight. Clutching the sheet, she pretended she was sulking for the want of not having to meet for training, not being able to stop Mack from making up childish nicknames for her, or whatever other trivial things she used to worry about.

* * *

As much as she didn't want to so much as glance at Lincoln when she'd first given in to whoever had them, the next day she found upon waking that seeing her friend was all she yearned for. Just to know they weren't in this alone, that she wouldn't abandon him and he wouldn't abandon her.

She got out of the bed - awkwardly placed in the back center of the room- to see him staring at her, as though he'd been watching protectively all the while. Or maybe there had merely been nothing better to do. He gave her a tentative wave with a smile that broke her heart, but she returned in the same manner.

And… that was it. That was how they communicated. Short waves, or sometimes mouthed words with nearly unhelpful hand gestures to try and understand one another. It was about every other minute Skye wished she knew sign language when they'd attempt this. Games of rock, paper, scissors were easy enough though, and probably how they spent almost the majority of their days.

Because this went on for weeks.

The first days Skye had been driven by sheer determination. When she was not trying to communicate with or keep up the morale of Lincoln she spent her time searching her prison. Memorizing and observing. She examined the hatch at the back wall which never opened, the crooks of the fridge that food would come through to refresh it, and the opening where her metal cylinder she was meant to shake would show up every instance visitors came to gawk at her.

This only happened every few days, which made Skye even wonder why they were putting so much effort into keeping herself and Lincoln around. There couldn't have been  _that_ much of a profit with a group coming maybe once a week. Skye even ate as much of their food as possible, just to spite them by making herself pricey specimen. (They had cut down her selection to limited rations after that though, CAMI informing her that Skye's masters prefered their creatures 'trim'.)

Not that it mattered. They were prisoners in this place, and no matter how much Skye searched for a fluke in the system or tried to create little victories for herself, they appeared to be there to stay.

She attempted to collect information from CAMI the A.I., only to be told it wasn't needed that  _she,_  as a specimen or lesser being, know. And thus, after a few days of intense searching, she just fell into a bland routine.

Clean clothes and pajamas were always present in her dresser, though she'd only change every few days. She had to go around the corner to be out of the gaze of anyone in the hallway, and at the right angles they could always see her. She could normally avoid that, but then there were the cameras…. Skye just didn't like feeling any more vulnerable than she clearly already was. Lincoln seemed to be on the same wavelength with that front. They showered even less than they switched outfits, always doing it at the same time as though a silent agreement between them.

Of course it was a silent agreement. It was impossible to be anything but.

If they gave her a bed, dresser, and couch… she wished they'd have given her a TV. After she figured she had the place mapped out so well she could draw it from memory, there was nothing left to do but pace.

Which was  _incredibly_  boring.

Many times she'd see Lincoln playing with the static on his hands, shooting it from one palm to the other. Her powers weren't really like that; she couldn't manifest things. She didn't really think she could use them for entertainment. Sure, she'd attacked the force field a few times but it had earned her shocks and she could never do it for too long. So sometimes, for near hours, she'd just watch Lincoln handle his gift.

One day, as she sat mesmerized in a stupor by his simple light show, she was startled by how calm she felt. How easy it was to just accept it.  _Oh, Lincoln's playing with static? That'll be the fun activity to watch for the day._

Was this what they were? What they'd become and were going to do for the  _remainder_  of their lives?

Skye might have not found a fault in the room, might have not seen a plausible end to this, but her hope never fully disappeared. In her mind this would still end at some point, somehow. They wouldn't be here forever.

But robots dictated everything with seamless portals to bestow them their necessities. The beings in charge weren't the same as humans. Skye couldn't manipulate them, wait for them to slip up. She wasn't even permitted to speak to a living soul and, passed the first day of instructions, CAMI rarely showed up unless to scold Skye for doing something wrong. (Which she'd do just to piss off the robot who couldn't actually be pissed off).

With how stale their lives were it almost felt like it was an event at the same caliber of the Oscars when something did happen.

It was a quiet sound. Futuristic as this place was, everything happened with extreme efficiency.

Skye pivoted her head towards the noise, which originated from behind her small ledge, to find that the door resting on the top of such had been opened. Lincoln's swung up as well, the door swiftly materializing into the wall above it as though it belonged to a garage.

Skye and Lincoln glanced at each other anxiously (but not without excitement) as CAMI blinked on in both their enclosures.

"Seasonal weather permits Inhumans to be allowed outside. Enclosure has been extended."

"So there's just more cage out there?" Skye asked, her voice lacking interest but honestly, any new installment would give her some scraps of hope.

"'Cage' is not the appropriate word, Quake. 'Enclosure' is the correct term. Tivan, Taneleer has dictated specimen be kept in humane containment similar to their native habitats. This has been done in order to attract more customers who did not approve of previous living arrangements for specimen."

Skye thought maybe she was hitting a lucky break or something. Not only was there going to be more to explore, possibly exploit, but CAMI had just dished out more information than she had in three weeks.

So the Tivan guy, whom Skye had never seen but was apparently in charge of this whole operation, had been running this for a while. And he used to keep people in even  _worse_  conditions.

Skye was at least happy to be held prisoner  _after_  some PETA wannabe had already stepped in.

She could smell the warm air coming out of the door when the wind blew a strong gust, and couldn't help but feel drawn to it. Turning back, she saw Lincoln staring at her, waiting for her.

For her approval.

God, he still looked up to her like she was some sort of mentor. He had been right at the pits when he'd said they were equals, but Skye also knew tactically what was going on better than him. She was supposed to be able to make better decisions, as she'd been trained. It had even taken a little while to convince Lincoln to join after the Inhumans fiasco, so he really was a fresh faced newbie when it came to agent stuff.

That didn't matter anymore, though. This was uncharted territory, and Lincoln having lived with his powers longer than Skye could very well mean he knew more about it than herself.

But if it made him feel more at ease with her taking the wheel while they were here, she'd give that to him.

She grinned, nodding in approval. What could it hurt, really? (Plus, she really yearned to sneak a peek at what it was like out there.)

Skye watched Lincoln tentatively walk through the door. Once he was through the threshold she then turned and did the same.

The sun blinded her before she felt it, but once the warmth hit her she nearly fell over in bliss. IIt was the first time she'd stepped outside in… months. At least while she was awake. She hadn't had a brush of sunlight grace her skin since the day she was captured for the fights.

The boundaries of this 'enclosure' were at least two times bigger than Skye's room and three times as high. It was closed in on four sides but the top was wide open. And though Skye knew there had to be a laser grid or some other form of forcefield up there, the heat of the sun beat down onto her as though there was nothing but the dense air.

She lifted her chin to the clouds and closed her eyes, breathing in the fresh breeze and letting the sun rays coat her skin. She smelled the musk of the forest that surrounded them, large trees and strange plants. Perhaps they were in the middle of a rainforest. The flora was painted with liquid that could be from recent showers. The trees had large tops, and Skye knew rainforests had many canopies...

As far as the inside of her plot, there was a reason it was so big.

A large jungle gym wound its way to the highest point of the walls, with many different colorful trappings along the way. There were ropes, monkey bars, ladders and nets… perfect for climbing. It was like a child's playground or, and Skye couldn't decide which was more disturbing, an ape exhibit at the zoo for them to use and keep up their physicality.

Surely it was meant to act more as the latter. And to engage in such should wound her pride.

But Skye felt a  _powerful_  urge to go jump into it.

And she was supposed to be exploring, finding faults, wasn't she?

Skye ran, making a leap onto the net that was the closest thing necessary to climb to get to the first platform. After scrambling up it and making it to the ledge, she looked around. You could swing on a rope to access the next area, or continue up on a latter.

Skye vaulted onto the rope, swaying across the gap and jumping onto her feet at the next platform. Her muscles were jumping for joy at finally getting some use. Pulsing inside her as though each ache she'd knew she would feel in the morning were saying  _thank you, thank you, thank you!_

She ran up a ladder and scaled a bound rope, reaching the top after just a few more obstacles.

Even with how tall the walls were out here, her vantage was not over the incredibly large trees that surrounded the area. Though she could see inside the fenced enclosure next to her, where a rhino was lounging in a mud puddle.

She smiled. Skye hadn't felt this good in weeks and she was determined to let it last more than just a few seconds.

There was another net on the top of the structure. Skye surmised it could easily be used as a hammock. She clambered in and onto her back, staring at the almost clear open blue in front of her. All she could see were clouds and sky, no cages or nets or museum. For an instant, she could almost pretend she wasn't even in this place.

Ignoring the pathways caught in her peripherals that were obviously meant for the museum's guests to observe her from out here as well, she closed her eyes blissfully.

Skye could only hope Lincoln was having just as much fun playing with the new amenities as she was.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you S, Athanasios+Hallas and Appleblossom2 for your comments! They mean a lot to me :)


	24. ...and the Serpent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> May tries to get through to Skye and Lincoln.

_**Present Day:** _

"I'm sorry, May," said Skye. "They obviously used that thing to manipulate me and I just… I just fell for it."

Skye sighed, looking down. May hated to think that Skye believed Melinda was disappointed in her. More importantly, that she was disappointed in herself. She hadn't done anything wrong.

Melinda took a deep breath. "You were biding your time and keeping your muscles toned. I see nothing wrong with that."

"Lincoln saw right through it," she countered, scoffing. Anger persevering the same way it had since she'd first gotten back. Self-blame, putting themselves down. Lincoln had told May he was worried Skye had thought him weak, while in actuality Skye figured herself not as good as her friend.

What they really needed was to stop the wallowing in the shame and blame they'd foolishly placed upon themselves.

Which was easier said than done.

"C'mon," May ordered abruptly, standing. "Up."

Skye and Lincoln shared a puzzled look. "But…"

"I told you to  _stand_ , Skye. I'm still your SO."

Skye frowned, fury painting onto her face instantly. Lincoln appeared hesitant, but glared at May all the same from her unprecedented shouting.

Melinda saw Skye as she internally struggled. She'd always been hard on Skye before, and the girl had been taught to follow the orders of her superiors like a trained agent no matter what tone they'd used. Now, angry and defiant, May could tell that her bottled up rage did not want to comply.

Skye slammed her hands down on the table, jerking herself up so that her chair screeched backwards from her legs until she was standing.

"Happy?" she snarled.

May tilted her head noncommittally. " Maybe. Why did you do that?"

Skye's scowl deepened in confusion and impatience. "Um, because you asked me to?"

May cocked a brow. "I didn't exactly ask."

"Yeah well… that's not really your thing," Skye said, crossing her arms into a self-hug and averting her eyes to the still sitting Lincoln.

"So you take orders," May surmised.

Skye shrugged. "From you. Like you said, you're my S.O."

"You'll do whatever I say?"

"No," Skye spat instantly. Determinedly.

"Sounds like that's what you were saying."

"It depends on what you're asking me to do."

"Ordering."

"Fine. It still depends."

"So you'd go off-mission if you thought what I said wasn't right?"

"Yeah. Like, if you were asking me to take out a bus full of school kids or something."

"What if you didn't have all the information?"

Skye seemed to ponder this. "I trust you," she admitted. "But some things are too far. I'd need a reason."

"You'll use your judgement," May told her, coming around the the table to be closer to her novice. Not that 'novice' was entirely the correct word to describe Skye anymore. The young woman had gone through more than many people would in their entire lives, and more. Losing her parents, gaining catastrophic powers, and now the hell she'd been through these passed few months.

But May wasn't sure she could ever look at Skye without feeling a protective instinct over her anymore.

"Uh, sure." Skye shook her head. "What does this have to do with anything?"

"Because judgements change based on the circumstances," May explained. "You obeyed them when they hurt you. You exercised outside because you had nothing else, no other way to keep yourself so much as sane. Your perception of the situation was altered enough for pride to be a lesser necessity, and you were right to act on it."

Skye was staring determinedly at the wall, clearly uncomfortable at someone defending her own actions she herself didn't even approve of. Meanwhile, Lincoln continued to gaze into his hands as though there was endless information to be found there.

May laid a hand on each of them. "Neither of you are weak," she assured, squeezing their shoulders. She wasn't usually like this, so… touchy-feely, but they… they needed it.

Skye turned to flash her less than a second of a watery-eyed smile, while Lincoln placed a hand over May's own with a gentle gratitude.

She knew this message wasn't really one that could be explained, or even taught. It had to be inherently learned. But pointing it out to the two of them couldn't hurt.

"Alright," May said, walking briskly away to break up the moment. "I think I may know of a better place for this debrief." She sauntered towards the door, tilting her head back at them as they stood frozen with confusion. "Trust me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so so much appleblossom2 and bozaq for the detailed comments :D I love hearing what you guys specifically like. (I love all comments, but those are just extra exciting ^^)


	25. The Eagle...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye and Lincoln have some extra special guests at the museum.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning in end notes!

**_ About Three Months Ago: _ **

Skye relished in being outside. It gave her something to do as opposed to the absolute absence of such that was driving her made before the little door had been opened. Not to mention it was an easy way to build her muscles back up and revel in the crisp air. She only had one reservation about being in her outdoor section: she was lonely, as she couldn't see Lincoln from there.

Well, and she was still a prisoner, but that was her only reservation given her already crappy  _situation,_  of course.

Also bugging Skye was when visitors came out onto the viewing canopy to watch her outside. It was her safe haven in this place and she did not want them there. CAMI would tell Lincoln and Skye when tours were going to come though. Skye would go inside as fast as possible in order to avoid them seeing her in her jungle gym, not wanting them to taint it for her. Though there was one instance she had allowed it. Skye had wondered if she wouldn't have to perform if she remained out there, but the stupid cylinder just followed her by popping up on the ground outside. Skye made sure she was inside for the tourists ever since.

Making sure to be indoors at these points was also Skye and Lincoln's unofficial way of always being there for each other when the people came to oggle. To hold a distraction, a face to look at while they were performing their circus act. But Skye didn't even mind so much anymore, it was just normal by now. So what if people wanted to come marvel at her? As a SHIELD agent, it could be so much worse. She could be tortured in a Russian camp. She could be back at the fighting pits, hurting innocent gifteds while she had to worry about her and Lincoln's safety, not to mention the others who were in in constant danger.

But while Skye was trying to adjust to the situation that was their ever-solidifying reality, Lincoln was allowing himself to spiral into it.

Reassuring smiles went away. He refused to play their games like rock, paper, scissors or attempt to speak with their manic hand movements. He'd sulk.

Skye wanted him to go outside; it always felt so good to her and would lift her spirits. She liked it when they'd go at the same time. She'd hate to leave him alone inside just to get some sunshine.

But no matter how much she'd try to ask if he wanted to go, some days he wouldn't even acknowledge her. He'd sit and pout on his ledge, which Skye supposed was the next best thing. At least he could smell the air next to the open door.

She still worried for him.

Perhaps he didn't have quite as much of an elaborate area as her, or maybe there was something out there that he dreaded. Skye couldn't be sure. Though, by their limited "speaking" through movements he seemed to have described the same sort of thing that she had.

Skye didn't know what to do for him except sit inside with him as company, but sometimes he'd turn his back on her. She felt betrayed by that; all she wanted was to be there for him.

So she'd go outside and exercise, but she'd never hold it against him. The situation was still revolting and if he accidentally hurt her feelings during his depression, she could deal with it.

One thing she could  _not_ deal with, apparently, was the day she woke up to find her door to the outside closed for business.

"CAMI!" she shouted. "CAMI, wake up or whatever."

She blinked on. "Does Quake have an inquiry?"

"Yeah, Skye  _does_  have an inquiry," she said, always insisting to try and get the AI to use her name. Not that it was ever going to happen… "Why is my door shut?"

CAMI beeped vaguely. "This system does not recognize 'your door'. This system finds no proprietary is permitted for Quake and other specimen."

"Oh shut  _up_ ," she screeched in annoyance. She was already peeved, she didn't need the reminder that she was just property to them. To a freaking  _A.I._ "The door to the outside. Why isn't it open?"

"Special visitors are to arrive today. Such visitors will remain inside, and thus the specimen will remain inside."

"For how long?" Skye asked.

"Twenty-four hours," CAMI answered uniformly. "Does Quake have any more questions?"

"Uh, yes," Skye said, thinking quickly. "Who are the visitors?"

She wondered if it was some kind of royalty or political prospect, being 'special visitors.' Maybe the hoity-toities didn't like to get sun on their skin.

"Quake does not require this information," CAMI informed her, to which Skye was disappointed but unsurprised. That happened more often than not. "Does Quake have any more-"

"No. Go away you stupid voice," Skye muttered, waving her hand.

"CAMI is a digital interface," she said evenly, as per flipping usual.

"Fine then! Go away you stupid digital interface."

Skye crossed her arms as the blue light blinked off. Lincoln was across the way, cocking a curious brow. Probably wondering what she had called the robot over for. But if he paid any attention to her love of the outdoors and knew that his door was shut as well, he could have figured.

Skye perhaps should have taken the time of being forced inside to communicate with Lincoln, but she just moped, and he seemed perfectly apt to do the same.

A few hours later the 'special' visitors came, and Skye was absolutely floored by who they were.  _What_  they were.

Children.

It was a freaking field trip or something.

Skye sat on her ledge with her arms around her knees and scoffed. The green mini-humanoids were prancing around the place like it was a park, giggling and playing, gawking at everything.

Two boys and a little girl suddenly were in front of Lincoln's place, pointing and staring. Somehow it made her so much angrier than when adults did it. With older beings, it had been like seeing them, the Inhumans, was a privilege. That at least it meant Skye and Lincoln were special enough to draw the attention of people from other worlds.

If kids could come… it must not have been that hard in the first place. They were locked up and treated sub-human not because they were priceless gems, but because they were worth less than a mutt you could pick up at the pound.

Skye was so mad she couldn't bear to so much as look for a while, but when she did her mouth fell right open.

Lincoln was directly up against his threshold, holding out sparks for the kids to see as a smile played heavily on his face. As though he were truly happy to be entertaining these brats. They clapped and egged him on, loving it when he moved the electricity from hand to hand.

Skye was so affronted by the sight she didn't notice the little girl in front of her own pen until she tapped lightly on the forcefield.

Skye wasn't even aware the guests could do that.  _She_  would have been blasted backwards, just like she'd been on her first day here.

Skye placed her chin heavily on her knees, staring back ahead. CAMI had not toldl her to perform yet and she didn't see any reason to do it early.

"Come here little Inhuman! Come here…"

Skye's head perked up at the sound that rang through her room.

It was the little girl, speaking through some sort of intercom. Could they always do that? Had the kids been the only one to care enough to use it?

The green haired girl began puckering her lips together to make kissing noises, the way you'd call a cat. Skye decidedly stayed put.

"Oh wow, is this another Inhuman?" a boy running up asked.

"Yeah! But she won't come closer…"

"The other one was sooo cute!" an even younger girl than the first said, who had came over along with the boy. "He could make electricity."

"What's this one do?" asked the boy.

"Hmm… mani- uh, manipulate seismic energy," she answered, reading Skye's sign with some difficulty.  _Clearly not_ advanced  _beings,_  thought Skye bitterly.

"Sweet," the boy said, nodding his head approvingly.

"What's that even mean?" asked the littlest girl.

"I dunno, something cool," the boy surmised.

"Come here, Quake!" the first little girl called. "Show off your powers!"

"Make things shake or something!" the boy shouted.

"My name isn't Quake," Skye muttered half-heartedly to herself, almost an automatic response from saying it to CAMI so many times.

"Daisy!  _Preeetty_  Daisy, come here," the littlest girl said as if she were cooing to an animal. "That's such a lovely name."

"Maybe she likes Skye, that's the coolest," said the boy. "Here Skye!"

Skye picked up her head immediately. The name she hadn't heard in months now sounded foreign but so welcome to her ears. She couldn't help but become intrigued.

She tentatively picked herself up and walked over to the gawking and excited kids. They were waiting.

She smiled, turned around and pushed a force into her bed. At the kids' cheers, she strained her hands upwards as her whole room began to shake.

After impressing them, she got down and their level, only alluring them more. The smallest girl, who had curly hair nearly to her feet, placed a hand on the "glass". Skye met it, her palm hovering before she thought she'd get hurt.

"Please," Skye said, "can you hear me? I don't want to be here. Can you help, is there anyone you can tell?"

Skye wasn't entirely sure why she was asking. Perhaps because it was the first time she realized there was a chance to communicate, or maybe her mind assumed that since they were kids there might be more sympathy left in them than their older counterparts.

But the little girl merely beamed, giggled, and skipped away, leaving Skye's hand against the wall lamely.

"Aw, she really is pretty," the first girl appraised, ignoring Skye completely. Either they couldn't hear her, or they'd been conditioned to not give a damn.

"I like the guy one, his power is sweeeet," the boy said. Then he lifted a finger, repeatedly tapping it near Skye's nose, speaking to her in a 'baby' voice. "You're just a dainty little Inhuman. Aren't you, aren't you?"

Skye roared at him. Literally. A scream ripped from her throat and she raised her hands as though she were going to attack, scowling and snarling like a wild beast.

At least it scared the kids away.

Skye breathed heavily, succumbing to anger as she allowed it to easily flow through her.

Meanwhile, Lincoln stared at her with green eyes full of concern. She didn't care. If he'd given up, why shouldn't she?

If these people wanted her to be a feral zoo animal, she could oblige. Animals will hurt anyone, the wild ones at least. They're unpredictable, and they could target whoever was in their path.

Including herself.

* * *

How Skye had suddenly seemed to forget they were prisoners being treated as subservient dogs because they opened a damn door for her, Lincoln didn't know.

He had been cautious about the new happening in the first place, just because anything made him feel wary in a place where others as cruel as these could decide his fate so readily and freely.

Then, when Lincoln walked outside, it was worse than he could have imagined.

They'd given them a play set.

So now they weren't just slaves, they were mindless children. Animals with a toy, monkeys at the zoo… the vibrant colors were all the more insulting.

Just because he'd play along to not be hurt didn't mean that he had to amuse them by jumping around on a toy like a kitten in a cat tree. As if to prove his point, next to his area he could see the leopard, prowling around its own structure.

Though  _his_  didn't look like Lisa Frank had puked on it.

Lincoln knew he should search for ways out, observe his surroundings. But there was more time for that in the future, he guessed, if going outside was a weather permitting thing. He wanted to go back inside and show Skye his defiance.

Except Skye didn't come back all day.

And when she did… hell, her eyes were coated in such a blissful haze he thought she'd been drugged.

But no, she just showed them the exact animal they wanted her to be. An idiot little hamster, so pleased to play with her wheel.

Under different circumstances he could have enjoyed the jungle gym. Maybe if he were drunk or just feeling particularly immature. But not here. Not when it was given to them by these people. And Skye seemed to act as if it were a present of some sort. Like she should be  _grateful._

They drifted apart in the weeks following their doors to the outside being open. Lincoln did appreciate the draft, but no way was he going to indulge these people. Let them think they'd given him something.

He didn't even know who "these people" were. With all the alien visitors, it seemed plausible that their 'owner' could be alien as well. It didn't matter. If they considered anything a handout, Lincoln would be sure not to take it from them.

Which was exactly why, on the day the kids visited, he  _wanted_ to give them something.

The voice hadn't told him to use his powers. The rods hadn't come up. But the kids were so genuinely interested and it wasn't their fault he was locked up. They weren't some uppity people coming to shame him, they were just kids.

So, he wanted to play with them and show them what he could do. Gain their interest.

Then he tried to show them that he was upset. A way of saying " _look at me, notice me, help me get out of here."_

Maybe they could appeal to their parents, or something. Whatever. It was a long shot and he just enjoyed showing his powers to people who actually appreciated them as opposed to expected it of him.

Then of course there was Skye, moping and sulking like a toddler in the corner because she'd been cut off from her playground for the day.

Lincoln wasn't mad at her. Disappointed, maybe. Mostly he just pitied her. This was what months of imprisonment had done to her. He could only imagine what years would do to the both of them.

No, he wasn't angry. He was scared. The fear just took form of judgment against someone who didn't really deserve it.

But then she engaged with the kids like he had. It was… cute. Seeing her face light up for something she was doing of her own free will, mirroring their hands.

Suddenly her smile began to drop, and… was she talking with them?

Then she hissed or maybe growled; she did something absolutely  _terrifying_  and feral with bared teeth and all the kids went screaming away.

God… Skye was falling fast all of a sudden.

She began pacing her room, anger and frustration evident with every step she stomped. She began pulling at her hair, clawing at her arms. Hell, she was acting flat out nuts.

The blue light blinked on and he wondered what CAMI was saying to her. Whatever it was, it only made her angrier, her face visibly red as she shouted back.

Then Skye became still, her arms out in front of her. She closed her eyes.

Dark purple bruises began manifesting on her wrists.

"Skye, no," he whispered in horror, watching her deliberately harm herself. He ran up to the threshold. "Skye, stop!"

She was twitching and shaking as the marks became darker, began spreading. An alarm began sounding through the building and the kids started screaming and running, after which Lincoln finally spotted the green adult who had been supervising them.

He didn't care about any of that. He just wanted Skye to  _stop_  before she seriously hurt herself. Before she was beyond repair.

Skye fell down, obviously straining herself to an excessive point, but he saw her hands remain clenched. Was she trying… trying to end it?

No. She couldn't be doing that. There was no way Skye would attempt… suicide.

Right?

_C'mon, don't leave me. I can't do this without you._

Lincoln was frantic to do something,  _anything_  to get her attention. Maybe if she saw him doing the same thing… His shocks didn't really harm himself, they resided on his body all the time. They were generated from there.

He threw himself at the wall.

It was with all his strength and he bounded back to the floor in a heap, clutching his pained shoulder. Then he did it again.

CAMI showed up. "Static will stop harming himself."

"Not until Skye does!" he shouted, throwing himself at the force field that once again spit him back out like distasteful food. "And you can feel free to tell her that!"

CAMI blinked and beeped. "Quake has been informed. Static will stop, now."

He glanced over at Skye's enclosure. She was on her side, her head facing him and twisted so she could see him. She was weak, her eyes barely open.

He crashed against the wall once more to prove his point, alarms still pounding into his ears along with the headache he now had.

Skye's head dropped, her breathing heavy. Her muscles no longer appeared taut. She wasn't hurting herself anymore.

But she looked like a living bruise.

God, how many fractures must she have given herself? Why the hell would she  _do_  that?

Before he could think anymore of it, a cylinder with small sliver on the end of it came down from the ceiling, a mist spraying from within it.

Lincoln was out before he hit the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING: Suicide attempt. Ish? She's not too aware of exactly how much damage she was causing herself as she was nearly blinded by anger, but that's where it was heading.
> 
> Thank you AppleBlossom2 and Ddlizbeth for comments! Apple, the fact that you got excited for the chapter makes me so happy! Glad it's that compelling.


	26. ...and the Arrow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> May takes Skye and Lincoln outside to finish the debrief. Hunter tags along.

_**Present day** _

"We're finishing the debrief… outside?" Skye asked, staring at the somewhat dingy park May had walked them to. It had been a few blocks away from the base.

May shrugged. "I think we could all use the fresh air."

"What's he doing here?" Lincoln asked.

"Excuse me," says Hunter indignantly. " _He_ has a name. And... he's here for moral support."

Actually, Hunter had a hunch that he was there because everyone else at the base was acting absolutely  _bonkers._  Bobbi wasn't herself. Simmons looked nervous as a turkey at these Americans' Thanksgiving and after speaking with Coulson, he'd seemed the same. Then Fitz and his two Inhuman lackeys were apparently having some kind of tiff.

And of course there was these two, who apparently needed babysat. Hunter and May were the only ones up to par at the moment.

Skye shook her head in confusion. "Why are we debriefing outside?" she asked, crossing her arms defensively. "Probably not the best decision by way of security protocol,  _May_."

Despite Skye's tone, the older agent didn't seem deterred by the snide comment. She shrugged. "You said you liked being outside."

"I'm also  _ashamed_ of it, if you didn't get that by my apology," she snapped. "So… thanks for bringing it up."

"Well, nothing shameful about being at the park," Hunter chimed.

"Except we're clearly being handled with kid gloves… literally."

"'Literally?' I'm not wearing any gloves, mate."

Skye squinted accusingly. "I meant that you're taking us to a park that happens to include a  _playground_  and it's childish!"

Hunter smiled, wondering if Skye would approve of the gesture to not back off from her. "I know. Just trying to get under your skin," he said cheekily, causing her face to soften. "Also, Lincoln said he could do with some coddling. Maybe you could put up with it for his sake."

Skye's face fell, becoming visibly upset as she looked ruefully at Lincoln. Then he got upset at her upset.

C'mon. Honestly.

"We don't have to debrief outside, I don't mind…" Lincoln started.

Skye waved him off. "No no, it's fine. It could be… fun." She muttered the last word off distastefully, then plopped down with resigned sulkiness onto a bench.

The bench was fairly small and Hunter honestly didn't feel like rubbing shoulders with Skye and Lincoln in their state. Physically rubbing shoulders. He didn't mind hanging out with them…

Just to the side of Skye's seat was an old metal swing set, deeply rusted from years of rain and neglect. It was probably one of the few objects that used to make up the children's play area that hadn't completely fallen to bits.

He shimmied his way in between the coarse chains that held a seat between them, tentatively sitting down.

The sight brought out Lincoln's smile.

"Don't expect me to join you," said the Inhuman. "I haven't had a Tetanus shot in ages."

Skye crossed her arms. "And I'm not in the mood for  _playtime_ ," she said, moving the stray bangs that had fallen in front of her face away with a quick puff of air from her mouth.

If Skye's predicament hadn't been so horrible, Hunter would have almost found it laughable. She was making such a large point out of not wanting to be coddled, helped, or treated like a child that it made her out to be the spitting image of a crabby two-year-old.

As it happened with these circumstances though, Skye's petulance was more just... sad.

So no, Hunter didn't expect Skye nor Lincoln to be cozying up to him any time soon.

He hadn't expected Melinda May to either, but that was precisely who took up the vacant swing next to him. Skye raised an inquisitive eyebrow, while Lincoln just looked utterly confused.

"I'd rather sit here than an overcrowded bench," she explained simply.

Skye rolled her eyes, predictably. But Hunter smiled. "You going to start kicking those legs anytime soon?" he asked cheekily, swinging sideways a tad to give her a nudge.

May was not amused by the gesture. Like, very unamused. As in, May was giving him a look-to-kill face.

"Don't touch me," she ordered snidely.

"Yes m'am," he snapped.

She eyed him for a while longer, despite his clear obedience to her words.

"Skye, Lincoln," she started slowly, finally trailing her gaze away from Hunter and towards her rookie. "Feel free to continue."

Skye had actually looked semi-normal for a moment then, but with the reminder to tell the story she was retreating into herself sheepishly.

She bitterly stated, "I guess we can pick up after I was done being an idiot."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eeep thank you for the comments! Ddlizbeth, Appleblossom2, AslansCompass and Hunter, I appreciate them so!!!!


	27. The Eagle... (II)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Skye wakes up from harming herself, Lincoln tries to cheer her up a bit.

**Slightly Less Than Three Months Ago:**

A week had passed since the incident with the kids. Since then, Lincoln had been burdened with  _constant_  apprehension for his friend.

They both had been knocked out by whatever spray had come down from the can, but he woke up sooner rather than later. (At least he figured, based on how bad his head remained aching from running into the walls.)

The only difference was… well, he'd woken up to bulky cuffs on his hands with a large rope connecting them to the ceiling. It restricted and recoiled when he'd get too close to the barriers, but when he pulled down it would gain more slack.

"This is to prevent Static from using the chord to injure himself," CAMI informed him, Lincoln understood what she meant immediately. If it couldn't be constantly manipulated they would have handed him a perfectly good noose. He could see how many people would consider suicide a viable option here.

Hell, he'd almost witnessed it himself.

Which was what he had been so damn worried about.

Skye was not in her cell when he regained consciousness. She didn't show up that day at all, or the next. In fact, many days passed.

He was so worried she'd inadvertently done the unthinkable as she'd hurt herself. It wasn't like her powers were cut and dry, she didn't necessarily just cause fractures to herself. What if she stopped her heart? Cut off her own oxygen? The last thing he'd seen was her tumbling to the ground. For all he knew, she hadn't been breathing at that point. And he'd had  _no_  idea what the hell they did with her once he'd been asleep.

Lincoln actually found himself wishing they hadn't put the cuffs on him for the very reason that he  _could_  start hurting himself. Maybe they'd take him to Skye, if she was still… there.

Alone and hopeless, Lincoln allowed tears to find their way through as he thought about being there forever without her. As he thought about Skye's purple body thrown out into the trash like medical waste, a failed experiment. He was shocked at how easily tears came to him. But if isolation and containment against a person's will couldn't do it, he wasn't sure what would.

"Static will stop releasing H20 containing saline. Static has visitors arriving in ten minutes."

"I'll  _stop_ when you tell me what happened to Skye!" he shouted hoarsely in another vain attempt, as he'd already tried to find out from the A.I. It wasn't even an entirely true statement, because if the CAMI told him what he feared… well, he wasn't sure he'd have the power to stop.

"Static is not permitted to know of Quake."

"Why?"

A pause. "Static is not permitted to know of Quake."

"But why not! If you just tell me, I'll put on the show you want."

A large amount of beeping and other noises made up what was usually the smooth, robotic voice. It screeched like those emergency telecasts on TV.

"Quake…" she started, its voice low and slow like it was running out of battery. She chirped, almost sounding happy if a beep could. "System priority shift. Information for Static: Quake is now in recovery."

Lincoln was almost too overjoyed to be shocked that CAMI had suddenly relinquished the information. Beside himself, more tears began brimming in his eyes.

"Static is meant to stop weeping now."

"Yeah yeah. You'll get your show."

And they did. He had to do it with his hands leashed, but he made the rods light up for the aliens. Disturbingly, this time, they were nearly indiscernible from humans. But he had no clue if that was truly the case.

A few days and one more show later, Skye returned.

She'd been set there while he slept. Lincoln thought he had imagined the lump laying on the bed as a hallucination of want, but it soon became clear she was real. Skye was still hurt and remained settled in her bed for a few hours before waking, even then not able to move very much, but she was back. He wondered if she'd been asleep the entire time.

God, he was so over the moon to see her he didn't give a shit that she'd caused him to hurt himself, that she'd been so naïve to direct her powers inward. That she'd enjoyed the outside. Hell, how had he ever been mad at her for coping with this situation to the best of her ability? It had been  _him_  in the wrong, making her feel guilty for just trying to not let her life suck in every aspect imaginable.

She obviously didn't feel the same way, her face distressed as she mouthed her apologies. He'd tried to reassure her that he didn't care.

She was back.

* * *

Regaining consciousness was so difficult for Skye that she could have sworn the process included someone dragging her soul from the pits of Tartarus and plopping it back in her body.

After which, of course, there was still the matter of opening her eyes.

When she finally did, her senses seem to rush back all at once and she had to stifle a whine. Her whole body  _ached_ , and not just like sore muscles. As though she'd been run over by a truck only to be thrown in the tiger cage afterwards.

Skye winced when she remembered why though: she'd done this to herself.

The kids had sent her off into some sort of rage. She'd never felt so lost of what to do, so pointless, so helpless. She'd paced and screamed, only gaining the attention of her A.I. who had the nerve to tell her it was imperative she calm down.

But Skye would not be calm. And if her captors weren't around to hurt, she'd hurt their precious little investment. She knew that'd rile 'em up.

Unfortunately it had done the same to Lincoln and she'd suddenly felt like a grade A asshole. What had she been doing, letting him see her in such a state? They had to help support each other. She'd felt like he was betraying her just by moping around a bit, then she went and starting breaking apart the bones in her own body? She hadn't even known what the people in possession of her would do once she was a beaten heap. They could have thrown her out like garbage to die slow.

Apparently though, they'd attempted to heal her.

There were casts or bandages covering her body. They were on her arms, chest and legs, with her wrists feeling the most force. She could barely move.

"Quake has been unconscious and in the medical wing for seven days," CAMI's even voice told her. Skye hadn't so much as noticed she'd turned on. "She missed two viewings. Her masters are not pleased with this, being caused by self-inflicted injury."

"Yeah?" she rasped painfully, her ribs feeling as though they'd been jumbled together and were scraping against each other when she spoke. She attempted to raise herself onto her elbows. "You can tell the 'masters' to go screw themselves."

She quickly felt the blip of electricity bite into her, and though it should have been expected Skye had nearly forgot about the experience and the kick behind it. Though, usually first offenses of the day were such a small shock that she could write them off. But with how she felt… it knocked her down to lying on her back once again.

"Quake's priority is to please masters."

Skye didn't have the energy to snark another remark at the voice. Not when she felt like minced meat.

She observed her skin to note that the bruises were already fading – after all, CAMI had said she'd been out a week – but they were just...  _everywhere_. Covering her body.

How could she do this to herself? Had she gone  _that_  insane?

Well, she supposed if there was one time it was not completely unimaginable to go off the handle, it was when you were being held prisoner in some of the strangest conditions possible.

Even so, what she felt really horrible about was Lincoln. What he'd done to stop her… seeing him harm himself snapped her back into reality very quickly. But the damage she'd done to herself had happened so fast she'd already been fairly far gone. It honestly hadn't hurt too bad while it was going on, perhaps only because it had only taken such a short duration.

Skye had been laid on top of her bed by whomever moved her around in this place. It had obviously been done with care, but she wished they'd taken the time to place her  _under_ the covers. She really just needed to curl up right now.

Laboriously, she once again lifted herself to her elbows and prepared to shift under the sheets. In doing so she took the time to look over at Lincoln.

He had the largest smile of relief on his face, probably similar to the one she'd had for him when he'd woken up after they'd first arrived here. It made her feel warm. Only for a brief moment though, because she realized something was very, very wrong.

His hands were shackled. Ropes lead from his wrists to the ceiling of his room.

Lincoln saw her staring and shrugged, obviously trying to convey it wasn't too bad. Then he took a lap around the room.

When he got too close to one side, the chain would tighten and stop him from going any farther.

Oh god, she thought in horrific realization, her mind clicking as she puzzled out the purpose to the lead. It was preventing him from throwing himself against the force field.

Tears dewed in Skye's eyes as it became clear.

This was all her fault.

Her stupid-ass idea of hurting herself to get to them had thrown Lincoln into the line of fire, and now they were punishing him for something he wouldn't ever do under normal circumstances.

They might have been captured, but no information had been at stake. They hadn't in pain. There was  _no_  reason to give up hope like that.

 _I'm sorry,_  she mouthed.  _I'm so, so sorry!_

Despite the distance and difficulty they had reading each other without accompanying hand gestures, Lincoln seemed to know exactly what she was saying. He shook his head frantically, as though assuring her there was no blame at all to be rested on her shoulders. But of course it  _should._

As Skye finished her journey to get underneath the covers, her wrists continued their pounding pressure. She allowed her fingers to gently graze over the bandage there, only to find something hard underneath.

She had cuffs on too, as well as her wrappings.

And… she couldn't use her powers. Skye hadn't realized it at first, but now that her mind was focused on it, she just knew. They were stopping her.

Were they going to tether her to the ceiling too, once she could move properly?

Then there was the fact that both Lincoln and Skye's doors to the outside were shut… their privileges were obviously being limited.

God, she'd screwed up royally.

Skye stared, her head propped sideways to keep Lincoln in her eye line and willing him to never go away. She wanted to stare at him until she memorized his outline, enough to visualize his skin on hers and how it would feel, the warmth of someone else's touch just for the company of contact.

No, she realized, she wanted him. She didn't want some illusion, it was just that was all her mind would logically allow her to accept right now, as imaginations of human touch was the closest she'd get to reality. But Skye yearned just to physically feel another human being that she cared for, and who cared for her.

Though it was a naïve wish, a child's prayer, and with every pulse of pain that coursed through her swollen body she was assured it wouldn't be granted.

* * *

Days passed, many that Skye spent in bed. There was nothing better to rush up to anyway and she was busy healing. He'd assumed one day CAMI had told her she could remove the bandages, because one day after seeing the blue light in her cage she began unwrapping them. In doing so revealed cuffs similar to Lincoln's, though hers didn't have the rope. They were also a bit wider and clung tighter to her skin.

Power inhibitors.

He'd notice them switch off whenever they had a viewing once she revealed them. After she was done shaking her metal block for them they'd turn back on, Skye's chagrin all too apparent during the experience. She winced and wobbled every time. Each instance they'd turn off, he could see the sigh of relief push passed her lips. He even discovered that Skye's eyes would brighten whenever they were going to have a viewing, obviously excited at the prospect of her minute-long reprieve.

Lincoln's cuffs and chord had came off abruptly about two weeks after they'd been put on, being sucked into the ceiling as though through a vacuum. He watched Skye stare down at her wrists, as though expecting the same, but nothing ever happened. She shrugged, unsurprised but dejected in a way.

About two weeks after that, Lincoln's outside door opened up. Skye glanced at hers, but it remained stoic. After a few more minutes, it became clear hers was not going to open.

Maybe it was a punishment.

Well, Lincoln wouldn't use the luxury denied to Skye when she enjoyed it so much more. So, despite having it open what had to be at least a month before hers finally did, he wouldn't use it. If she was stuck inside, so was he. He'd rarely used it when he had the chance to before anyway.

When he saw hers creek apart, his eyes went to Skye's face immediately. The closing of that for a day was what seemed to have triggered her upset in the first place, and he was curious to see what she'd think of having it back after so long.

She was on her ledge, just next to the door when it happened. But Skye only scoffed and pushed her knees into her chest, placing her chin on them determinedly.

Lincoln wished he could knock on the glass and get her attention. Instead, he opted for waving his hands around. It took a solid two minutes of this before her eyes caught the motion, her face lighting up in a hesitant smile.

Lincoln pushed his hands forward in a shooing gesture.  _Go, go!_

Skye instantly scowled, shaking her head through the pout.

The girl was just being stubborn. She had bad feelings towards the outside now, but she  _had_ to still enjoy it. She'd loved it so much before.

Lincoln shrugged, smiling, and nonchalantly hopped outside his own way. A moment later, he popped his head back in so that it was the only thing Skye could see, bending over until it was near upside down, his hair dangling off the top of his head. Her mouth burst open in a surprised grin for only a moment. She had to place her palm over her lips to stifle the laugh.

He drew his head back. Then, hands behind his back, he strolled across the threshold of the door as he casually whistled, hoping she could see the gesture. When he gauged Skye's reaction she rolled her eyes, but he could see telltale signs of delight cross her face.

Lastly, Lincoln stood in the door, his arms open wide like he was some sort of predator bird, if a predator bird were to ever give someone a hug. He spun around with a laugh, actually finding himself grinning not only for Skye's benefit, but relishing in the sun.

Skye sighed and gave him another loll of the eyes, though she stood and moved outside. Once there, her hands shot up in a  _happy now?_  gesture.

Lincoln grinned, because yes, he  _was_  happy now.

Then he stepped outside and out of her eyesight, only hoping she would do the same. Once there, he decided to see what Skye had been so thrilled about in the first place.

He climbed, jumped… and he supposed it was fun. The best part was the height he was at when he got to the top of the structure, and he stayed there for a while, watching the trees sway in the wind even as raindrops fell onto his face. It was still so sunny, despite the fact so he didn't think to care.

It was calm, zen maybe. He finally understood what Skye got out of the experience.

After a few hours he went back inside, hoping Skye was around. He wanted to 'tell' her that he found what she liked so much about being out there.

When Lincoln did return to his quarters, he nearly fell over backwards as a punch of surprise hit him.

Skye was in pajamas. Or, that was the  _nice_  version of explaining what her current outfit was. She was huddled up small in the corner, but Lincoln could tell she was wearing a long tank, mainly see through except her upper chest. Her legs were bare. When his eyes trailed down -though they shot back up quickly- he didn't miss that her underwear was visible through the outfit.

What the hell?

When she noticed he'd come inside he was able to catch her puffy red eyes.

Only for a moment, because then the part of her cell wall split open. Skye barely glanced at it before picking herself up and walking dutifully out, sparing a gentle look of reassurance at Lincoln before she went.

"CAMI!" he shouted. "What are they doing with her?"

"Static does not require this-"

"I damn so require the information! She's my friend," he snarled, sparks starting to resonate from his palms through the rage.

"If it would help Static," said the toneless voice, "know that you will be joining her soon."

He ground into his lip. It should have helped that he was going to some unforeseen place with her. That something was changing. Change meant opportunity. But he couldn't shake Skye's frightened eyes from his mind and it made him mad.

He threw bolt after bolt at CAMI's light, well aware nothing would happen. Their enclosures were built personally for each of their powers, being able to handle them at their highest capacity. Or at least, the A.I. had told him so in the past.

"Static will stop."

_No, he won't._

"Static will stop."

Lincoln growled as he threw the next one.

"Static will stop or be punished."

Like he gave a shit. He was angry and this felt cathartic as hell.

CAMI remained silent then, not bothering to repeat her mantra as instead a shock soared down at him. His hands were still sparking. The electricity from the robot flew towards his own static. Like a magnet, even.

And Lincoln didn't feel hurt. He felt… something else.

He grinned.

"Will Static comply, now?"

"Yeah," he said slowly. "You say I'll be going with Skye soon?"

"Estimated time: one hour until Static meets with Quake."

"Fine," he conceded, sitting down in the middle of the floor, legs crossed like a kid. "I'll wait."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS you are so sweet with the comments!!! They make my day :D Thank you emilia_kaisa, Hunter, Matt, Ddlizbeth and AslansCompass.
> 
> Now just a reminder, if anything but physical violence that warrants a warning happens, I will put up a trigger warning! I'm definitely not saying it will, but I don't want you guys to live in fear of getting triggered.


	28. ...and the Fox

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fitz and Raina work in the lab.

_**Present Day** _

"Here, Raina, try this…" Fitz mumbled, giving her the metal headpiece back for about the thousandth time. Ok, so technically this was test sixty seven, but if Leo hadn't been recording the amount he'd honestly have figured it would have been much longer.

Raina graciously took the piece of equipment. She never fussed with Fitz's inventions, no matter the fact that they never had gotten this particular one to work. It was to help Raina's visions reach people who still had Kane's chip activated. Though now that at least Skye and Lincoln had made it back, Fitz's drive was admittedly lessoned. Or it had been. Getting a glimpse into their lives at the 'zoo' had Fitz fearing if any of the others had been recaptured, their nightmares all too real and fresh in his mind after hearing some of Skye's story.

Fitz calibrated the machine now sitting atop Raina's head, which looked even more sci-fi than his usual doohickeys. (Ok, so he might have been influenced aesthetically by Professor X's vision helmet…)

"Ready?" he asked. She nodded, and Fitz flicked a small switch that had the electricity flowing freely into the wires. Raina sat concentrated, as always, for long minutes where Fitz's hair stood on edge. Finally, she made a 'cut it' waving motion to her neck.

"Anything?" Fitz asked eagerly after shutting down the engine.

Raina sighed. "No."

Fitz nearly snarled. He tried to keep his rageful disappointment hidden, but it came out in the form of kicking a table in the lab. Then again, and again…

"Whoa whoa!" Naja said, rushing forward from her rather frustratingly near-chronic seat in the lab. "It's ok. Maybe it'll work some other time. And even if you don't get it, there's no point in taking it out on a table."

Fitz cocked his head. "That's not too reassuring."

She shrugged. "But it's realistic." Naja didn't have the most positive attitude, but she wasn't exactly a pessimist. Just a realist more often than not.

Raina stepped forward shyly. "I'm sorry I can't help. If I'd have known my powers wouldn't work… I would have tried to help Lincoln and Skye when I saw them on my way out."

Fitz was irritated because yes, that would have been a big help. Raina was strong. But perhaps in the situation that had taken place after such a horrible stay, thinking you should get yourself to safety first because you had the means to help others afterwards would have been the most plausible choice. Like those air masks on airplanes. ("Always place on yourself before helping a child with theirs"). At least she was trying to help now.

Simmons bustled into the lab suddenly, not so much as attempting to talk to the other three. Her mind seemed quite set.

"Something going on, Simmons?"

She scoffed. "Quite a bit, Fitz, if you haven't noticed."

"Whoa, what's got you so, um, upset?"

She sighed, taking a moment away from her busy work to push her fingers gently up into her eyes. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped. Ward's just got me all riled up and-"

"Ward?" Fitz sputtered out. "You went to see him?"

"Yes, the ungrateful lug. Telling us  _now_  that he has more information… god."

"He does?" Fitz asked hopefully. He was jonesing for good news, considering he'd been such a failure these past weeks. "What is it?

"I don't know! He didn't tell us. Wanted to barter for it." She scoffed again. "The nerve."

"Well, what was he asking for? I mean, it could be worth it…"

Simmons' mouth popped open with something like offense. "Nothing is worth giving that man an inch of satisfaction. In fact, I think we should just execute him and be done with it."

"J-Jemma! Bloody  _execute_?"

"Oh come on Leo, you know how I felt about him. Just because I failed at getting rid of him myself doesn't mean I believe he deserves to still be around. In fact, I don't even think his death should have to be in secret. Hasn't he betrayed SHIELD enough for this to be a legal occurrence?"

"C'mon Jemma… SHIELD doesn't-"

"Fitz,  _he's_  the one that gave up Skye and Lincoln's location to that horrific place!"

Leo felt like he'd been punched in the gut. He'd built up a pretty sturdy shield against information of Ward hurting them to prepare for situations like this, but clearly it found a way passed his self-made guard.

"He did?" was all Fitz managed.

"Yes, and god knows what else Skye went through because of him," Jemma said, her voice soaked in anger as she began typing and observing the screen.

Fitz looked up at the same place she was. He gestured his hand. "What's uh, what's all this?"

Simmons clicked her way through the screen. "Lincoln's blood test results. This is everything in the cocktail they injected him with."

"Whoa, that's a lot of stuff," Fitz said, observing the list. "PCP?"

"Not actual PCP, the computer just doesn't know what else to call it. Everything here is a hybrid… except the herbs."

Fitz glanced sideways to see another category of substances labeled 'natural.' "Lavender? That's weird… Okra as well? What the bloody hell is Yohimbe…"

Simmons glanced sideways awkwardly. "It's… it's a plant from Africa, India as well." She swiped away Lincoln's results near defensively, bringing up another subjects as she did so. Skye's.

"Progesterone? Oh, is Skye, um, uh, what do they call it… uh…" He looked around helplessly as Simmons blinked largely at him. "...on the rag?"

"Fitz!" shrieked Naja. Raina appeared amused. Simmons… her expression had to be the opposite of amusement. "That's private!"

"I was only asking because of the chemicals!" he defended, a blush creeping up his cheeks. "It's science!"

"No," Jemma said roughly, her voice cutting into Fitz's like steel. "No Fitz, this is not her current menstrual cycle."

"Then why-"

"Because these people tampered with them, Fitz!" Jemma exclaimed, turning on him with tears in her eyes. "They clearly treated them as though they were nothing but experiments, like they weren't so much as human." Jemma choked on her tears, cutting herself off. Fitz winced. He couldn't bear to see her like this, creeping forward and taking her hands.

"Jemma… are you saying they dosed Skye with estrogen?" he near whispered, close as he was to her.

"I don't..." she started, her tear stained eyes looking up miserably at him. She took a deep breath, clearly burying whatever she was about to explain deep inside. She wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry… I just, I want to gather all the information I can for them. Excuse me."

Simmons left hastily. In such a hurry it almost seemed like she was trying to lose them. Fitz knew better. He'd follow that woman anywhere, especially if she were this troubled.

That is, unless, he got a lizard lady blocking his way.

"Fitz! I wanted to speak with you about something," Naja said, cutting off his direct path out of the lab.

"Oh, um… Naja, I was trying to-"

"Oh Fitz... Simmons just said 'excuse me.' Doesn't that mean she would like to be left alone?"

Leo recognized the obvious jealousy in her eyes, amazingly. He honestly hadn't been much of a candidate for provoking that feeling for women in the past.

"I- I wasn't going to find Jem- er, Simmons," he lied quickly. "I'd like to check on Skye. Her results were… odd."

"Oh," said Naja, immediately turning awkward and coy… oh lord, her body was beginning to blink and glow. "I, um, I heard agent May took her and Lincoln to the park nearby."

Fitz nearly fell backwards with shock. "Agent May? A park? Agent… May?"

Naja nodded. "I could come if you like…?"

"No, no, I'm perfectly capable," Fitz said hurriedly. And before he knew it, he was out of the lab with the park in mind as a destination. Not following Simmons as he'd originally planned, but he did realize it wouldn't be a bad idea to find Skye. Plus… Agent May at a playground would be quite a sight to behold.

But it was getting dark and this city wasn't exactly the most friendly place to be after hours. Which was why when Fitz heard bustling and the sound of rushed footsteps, he couldn't help but be quite freaked out and scolded himself for not bringing an ICER.

Until Skye burst through a bush.

Of course the relief was quite short lived, as the girl followed up bursting through the bush with bursting into tears.

"Hey, Skye! What's wrong?"

"I don't want everyone to know," she sobbed. "How they thought of us, of me… I'm a person, I'm not… I'm not… something to be used."

Fitz was flabbergasted. Skye was flat out crying, shaking, alone in the middle of the night. He wasn't even sure she was aware who she was venting to.

"I know… that you're not," he said lamely. He didn't know what else to do. Hugging her seemed near out of the question, she looked unpredictable.

Which was apparently a good call as the next thing she did was punch a nearby garbage can.

"I'm not a doll to play dress up with, or an  _animal,_ " she snarled. She began pacing near after.

"I know. Everyone knows," he assured her. "Where's May, Skye?"

Her eyes snapped up to him, near confusion crowding her features.

"She's uh… with Lincoln. He's… he'll explain what he can, but he doesn't know the next part. I do. I want to say it I just…" Her eyes had drifted downward in her mumbling, but they found his again all of a sudden. "Can I tell you?"

"Oh, me?"

"Please," she croaked. "You're… you're safe Fitz. You make me feel safe," she said, wiping her eyes as she came nearer to him. She was acting… well, bi-polar, for lack of a better word. "You made me feel safe when I first got my powers. You… you understand."

He didn't really know what the right response was. Leo was admittedly feeling quite slow, but he nodded frantically and added an "of course" for good measure.

She was near hyperventilating with anxiety and worry though, so he added one more offering.

"Want a hug, Skye?"

She jerked in hesitation, but nodded gratefully and swept him up so hard Fitz knew it was an overdue embrace.

But all the hugs in the world couldn't fix Skye enough to make her back to the way she was before that place, and no matter how hard he tried and squeezed, Leo knew it was going to take a hell of a lot more.

Though, maybe they would help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you emilia_kaisa, Athanasios Hallas, AslansCompass, Matt and Hunter for the comments!! You guys keep this story going :D


	29. The Horse, Hunter,

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye gets dressed and prepped for her "meeting".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Small TRIGGER WARNINGS in end notes for this chapter. I mean they may not be small to everyone but I don't think they're toooo bad. Still, if sensitive, be sure to look!

_**Two Weeks Ago** _

Why Skye was being called inside, she had no idea.

She'd never been told an order out of the blue before. Well, other than to eat when she'd first gotten there and... whenever she was meant to use her powers. But this seemed random. There was also the fact that she'd just gotten her privilege to the outside back, it was strange to make her come in.

Lincoln hadn't. And CAMI's light wasn't on over there, so she didn't seem to be even in the process of ordering him in.

Skye's outside door slammed shut with a loud thud, an ominous pretense echoing along with it.

She looked up at the light and shrugged. "What gives?" she asked, trying to hide the trepidation in her voice caused by the change in whatever was going on. From a robot. Which seemed silly, but  _someone_  had to be watching her that was real sometimes, right?

"Quake will find clothes in the dresser."

"Yeah… I always find clothes in the dresser."

"Quake is to change, now. Quake has a meeting soon."

Skye's brow furrowed. Admittedly curious as to what was going on, she cautiously stepped over to the dresser and found…

Lingerie.

Black, silky, lingerie with pink bows that wouldn't go far passed her butt.

"W-why?" Skye stuttered. Alarms were going off in her head like mad as fear began to heighten in her belly.

"To appeal to the male counterpart of the species."

Skye couldn't breath.

She also couldn't take her eyes off of the sleepwear, despite how much said outfit horrified her. She just wasn't sure what they were going to make her do. Model for some pervert aliens, maybe take pictures for a catalogue?

Were they going to turn her into, like… some exotic earth whore?

They could try.

Skye realized she was making a lot of judgments based on an article of clothing and what a robot had told her its main purpose was. With further dwelling into her mind, Skye supposed that  _was_  the base reason for lingerie if the A.I. had Googled it, or whatever. But it all just seemed so ominous.

"I don't…" Skye swallowed. "I'm not going to put that on."

"Quake must put the outfit on," said CAMI simply. "It is to be worn to her meeting."

Skye bit her lip to stifle the tears. "With who?" she choked out. "Who am I meeting?"

Skye wanted to be angry. She wanted to scream, yell and stomp; be absolutely  _furious_  that they were once again attempting to control her like some child's marionette.

But she was far too frightened. She'd never had a meeting in this place before. She'd never had to put on a sexy outfit. The only thing she was sure of here was that they'd succeeded in making her do whatever it was they wanted her to, and she feared as her confidence rapidly dwindled that this would be no exception.

CAMI made a few sounds that Skye had come to think of as her way of conveying emotions. She was quite aware the A.I. didn't truly have any, but personification was apparently what happened when you only had a robot to talk to for months on end.

"Quake is not required to know this information."

"Bullshit."

Skye cried out when the shock hit her. Her mouth had been knit tightly shut in attempt to keep noises of worry and unease from popping out, but the bit of static was able to hurry her lips open.

"Profanity is not permitted."

"Please," Skye hoarsely begged _. Begged,_  to a machine that had zero sense of reason to appeal to. "Just tell me why."

"Quake will be dressed in ten minutes or she will be placed under a sedative and the outfit will be placed on her by others."

Skye was shaking. Desperately trying to hold in overwhelming tears as she grabbed the outfit and went into the corner to change. She didn't bother answering the thing's last statement; it never gave her such a courtesy either.

She ripped off and replaced her clothes quickly, feeling more self-conscious than she ever had been in this place. Or at all. There were probably cameras, that person (people?) she assumed to be out there could be leering at her. Could be enjoying her utter lack of control over her own actions. Kane certainly would. He appeared to have relished his imperium over all the gifteds in that pit.

Skye's arms huddled across each other in a self-hug, stepping forward out of the corner cautiously as possible.

As Skye stood there awkwardly, alone with her feelings of dread and anxiety, the AI gave no further instruction. Simultaneously yearning and wanting nothing to do with the answer, Skye finally asked, "Now what?"

"Quake will wait to be collected."

"Am I leaving?" she asked. "Am I moving cages or something? Leaving the museum?"

"Quake will not be leaving today. Quake will be moving to a temporary enclosure and later returned. 'Cage' is the incorrect word."

Skye took a large gulp of air and tried to steady her nerves. She took a shaky seat on her ledge, head resting against the cool wall while she waited.

Eventually movement in the corner of her eye directed her to Lincoln's cell. He'd come in, and he was staring at her in abject horror, there was no other word for it. It strangely reassured her, as though her fear from the mere outfit was not a delusion come about from these months of solitude.

She wasn't sure how to address him in this state.

It turned out she didn't have to. The side of her wall just opened, like someone ripping apart Jello.

"Quake will go through the door and await instructions. She will not attempt to break orders. Doing such will be met with immediate unconsciousness and penalty later."

Skye jerked in fear and shock. She certainly didn't want to be asleep for whatever this was going to be. So wearily she stood, walking over to the new door in a stupor.

Even if she hadn't a clue about what was going on, there was no reason for Lincoln to worry. This didn't have to do with him. She gave him the smile she always managed to cook up when she'd want to coax him into believing everything would be fine. Hell, maybe it would help convince herself.

She found herself in a small, gated box, just large enough to fit her standing body. It came to her attention that she'd never seen this area, or much of anything outside the confines of her own prison cell. A vast hallway was before her and not much else. Skye's ears perked up when hesitant footsteps sounded through the dismal corridor.

A blonde woman, whose eyes were decidedly geared towards the ground, came closer. She looked mid-twenties, human. She was wearing a white dress and some sort of wristlets. Her hands were together, clutching something.

As Skye took in the woman's appearance she nearly gasped, because she had seen her before. It had just been with such a separate demeanor she couldn't recognize the lady.

It was the tour guide; the one she saw nearly every week. The one who was always smiling, always chipper.

Skye'd always assumed she was in on this. Hired, like the guards at the fighting pits.

It certainly didn't seem that way now.

"Hands," the girl said, absolutely monotone.

It was the first living person Skye had been face-to-face with in the facility since she'd been brought there. Sometimes she'd wake up with her bangs trimmed or hair cut, but she never saw the person to do it. Her mind actually concluded it was probably some robot.

"Hey, what's your name?" Skye tried. "Do you know what's going on?"

"Hands," the girl repeated.

Great. The first human voice Skye'd heard in months and she was just another robot.

Skye stuck both her hands through the gate. The woman went to work immediately, attaching some sort of small bead to Skye's cuffs. It seemed to just meld on. As it did, the bands stuck together with the pull of magnets.

The girl opened the door. "Come on."

Skye stepped out, trembling. She hoped it was only on the inside. "Please, tell me what's going on," she implored.

The woman ignored Skye. Instead she began to walk, beckoning Skye to follow without so much as turning around.

Skye glanced around immediately, ready to bolt. Ready to get out of this place for good.

But something, a nagging in her mind, told her not to go.

She wasn't ready to forfeit her body, she realized. Couldn't let them knock her out and do what they pleased. Instead, she attempted to appeal to the girl once again.

"Can't you talk?"

"Quake," CAMI's voice sounded from overhead. "You will not speak with Tessa. Tessa is not to converse with the specimen. Tessa will be punished if she does so."

"Jesus, are you everywhere?" Skye sneered upwards.

"If you were referring to CAMI, than yes, I am reachable through every part of this museum," she said. "If you were speaking of the deity, it would appear that factions of the Christian religion do believe the kinged Jew to be reachable from anywhere on this planet."

Skye blinked dumbly as they continued the trek, unknowing of how to respond. Her mind was way too muddled to think of any sort of statement in response to such an unexpected one.

She was led to a room with a chair that reminded her of one you might find at a beauty parlor, as it was even placed in front of a mirror. Tessa told Skye to lie back, and she settled herself uncomfortably into the seat.

Then the blonde got to work. She brushed through the tangles of Skye's hair with no small amount of pulling. Skye room included a shower but no brush, and her hair didn't especially appreciate the rough treatment after being left to knot for so long.

Then Tessa started putting makeup on Skye, making her feel as though she was on a spa trip from hell. Dark eye shadow,  _tons_  of eyeliner, mascara and heavy lipstick soon coated her face. Blush. She painted her nails ruby red. She curled Skye's hair, placed a large black bow on the top of her head.

The mirror was obviously there to help Tessa while working on her. Even so, Skye couldn't help but stare at herself to take in the image. She hadn't seen her reflection in… months. This was the first time she'd had makeup on in months.

This was the first time another human being had touched her in  _months_.

But they weren't humans, were they? Not to these people. They were no more than animals or property or… well, slaves.

 _Yes,_  that was it. Skye finally allowed her mind to acknowledge what she'd been avoiding for so long. It had been months. At least half a year, if Skye had to guess. They weren't leaving. There was clearly no escape and no rescue was coming. They weren't going to be ransomed or tortured like captured SHIELD agents. They were going to be used for profit and experiments because of what their positions in life had been demoted to by these mysterious…  _masters_  of hers.

_Slaves._

Skye felt a very sudden, sharp pain in her chest, a sick longing and piercing want that crawled into the depths of her core.

And she cried.

Skye tried to hold in the tears, but she couldn't even for the life of her and quiet sobs wracked her body. Tessa  _must_ have noticed, but she did a damn fine job of not appearing to in the least bit. She just kept working.

The seat reclined backwards as though it were one more fit for a dentist office than a hair place. Skye had to do sit somewhat awkwardly then; her hands were still forced together in front of her. Tessa loomed over her.

Skye took in the girl's appearance: she seemed well kept, but just by demeanor alone Skye would have guessed she was as much a slave as herself. Any person who volunteered to work here had to have a sick mind and this girl appeared to have no emotion remaining in her at all.

She brought over large pieces of tape and a jar, some kind of caramel looking substance with a small wooden stick coming out of it.

Oh.

Skye  _hated_  waxing.

The woman coated the tape in the sticky material, placed it on Skye's legs and pulled, repeating the process until near every inch of the agent's skin felt smooth to the touch.

Skye had stopped crying a few minutes earlier, to which Tessa was probably relieved at. She had to wipe off and reapply the makeup she'd so diligently caked on after the waterworks, adding a dash of perfume to finish her off.

Well, almost. She then slipped two long, lacy stockings on Skye's feet. She nearly blushed at that. Skye didn't like being dressed up, she reflected. It was making her feel like a toy. The makeup was almost like a day at the hairdresser, but actually putting clothes on her….

Ok hell, who was she kidding?  _None_  of this was normal.

Tessa appraised Skye pointedly, scanning her body as though there was something she'd missed. Once she was satisfied, she began leading Skye again. They went a different direction, this time.

 _I should run,_  Skye thought once again. She could take this chick.

But there was the impending threat that she would be knocked out. She couldn't have that. It was terrifying just allowing such musings into her mind.

Plus these people always got their way, eventually. No matter what Skye tried to do about it. No matter how much she didn't want it to happen.

Every single time they'd gotten their way.

Skye figured the two women were in some back part of the museum that guests most likely weren't permitted to be usually. She'd never got to explore the hallway she even resided in, but she saw no artifacts or creatures here. Just endless doors.

One they finally stopped at.

Tessa lead her inside, finally turning to address her. "Wait on the bed. He'll be with you shortly and CAMI will give you further instructions."

Now Skye almost did run. Her heart was pounding against her chest as she stared at the only piece of furniture in the room.

There was no way she could be mistaken about their intentions.

Skye drearily trudged over and sat on the bed, clicking her heels together over the edge anxiously. Waiting for whoever was going to come through that door. She needed to get more angry, she knew. She was far too accepting of this as she sat there moping, like whatever was happening was just some minor inconvenience.

She'd kill them, Skye decided. She'd pounce and fight if they tried anything. Tooth and nail.

Skye stared at the stockings Tessa had adorned her with. She'd never liked wearing socks like that. Miles had a thing for them, but she'd just preferably skip the outfits and get down to the real fun. And once she'd word it like that, Miles didn't really seem to mind. (Though he did argue that socks never necessarily  _had_  to come off…)

Thinking about Miles nearly had Skye in tears once again so she veered off the subject, pushing her into the sudden decision that she couldn't handle the stockings being on any longer. She reached down for the right one, tugging it lightly –

"Quake will not remove her leg coverings. They are to remain on until her male Inhuman counterpart arrives."

Skye instantly readied a remark laced with venom when just exactly what CAMI said caught up to her.

_Inhuman?_

The door opened. Skye jumped at the tiny sound, her eyes finding the silhouette in the doorway as he stepped inside.

"Skye?" Lincoln said, peering into the room.

She couldn't move, for a moment. Frozen in shock. In… in joy? Yes, that was the emotion, as out of place as though it might have seemed in this predicament. But it was her name.

He'd said  _her_ name!

Skye's lip quivered and it was all she could do not to burst into tears right then. Tears of relief, tears of happiness…

And when she really thought about what they were trying to get them to do, probably fear or sadness.

But she didn't care about that at the moment. All that she cared about was that her friend was there, right in front of her, without damn forcefields or gates to separate them.

"Lincoln!" she choked his name off in a sob, jumping off the bed to meet him halfway. She ran to him immediately, his arms wrapping around her tight as she nuzzled into his shoulder. God, he was so warm. So real. Right in front of her. He was touching a lot of bare exposed skin, and what wasn't bare was pressed against thin material. She didn't care. She needed this. She wanted to savor this precious moment. She had no idea how long it would last.

In the back of her mind she noted grumpily that  _he_ hadn't been forced into any outfits or be made up, though he did smell distinctly of cologne.

Skye was clutching the boy so hard she was suddenly afraid he wasn't able to breath and found herself letting up on him. Just a bit.

"Lincoln, I was so  _scared_ ," she admitted, a choked sob into his shoulder. "I didn't know who would be in here. I thought- I thought-"

"Hey, hey it's ok," he said, patting her hair, a little awkwardly. Like he wasn't sure how to react or was attempting to hold it together himself. "How about we sit down?"

Lincoln stopped hugging her and she felt she might just collapse with the loss. But he clutched her hand tenderly, leading her to sit. He sat next to her.

"Just breath, Skye," he cooed. She held onto his hand with a near death grip. She deeply yearned to embrace him again, but she didn't want to appear so broken.

Ah, why was she trying to fool herself? She was cowering on a bed after being dressed like a turkey and obeying every order they'd said today without question. She wasn't anything less.

Lincoln told her to breathe again and she focused on the advice, taking deep breaths in and out.

"H-how are you?" she managed eventually. He gave her an odd, slightly incredulous look at that, finally chuckling.

"Ah, pretty good," he told her. "But I didn't get a makeover. I feel kind of left out."

She huffed a laugh at his dark humor. "Don't. My legs are  _burning_  right now."

His head cocked to the side in confusion. Before he could puzzle out what she'd meant for himself or Skye had to inform the blissfully naïve fool (guys could have it so easy), CAMI spoke up.

"Inhumans have had adequate time to identify each other. CAMI now has the primary directive for you."

Skye gulped and curled into Lincoln for support. She had a fairly good hypothesis on what this 'directive' was, but didn't really have a care to hear the thing say it. Lincoln seemed fairly clueless on what it could be, his eyes holding puzzlement. But he was prepared for the worst, judging by the wary expression on his face.

Unfortunately, when CAMI spoke up, it was exactly what Skye expected to hear.

"Static and Quake will forthwith breed, until the female's reproductive cycle begins successfully."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warnings: Thoughts/mentions of non-con and forced sex (none at all in actuality though), a scene where Skye gets her makeup and socks put on as well as her legs waxed without her consent, slavery.
> 
> You guys think they'll do it??
> 
> Thank you thank you thank you for the comments you guys! Especially the constants and those who leave their thoughts. Glad you liked Fitz, I LOVE his and Skye's friendship :) But seriously, y'all make my day!


	30. ...and Stag

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lincoln and Skye come to Simmons looking for their blood test results.

_**Present Day:** _

Simmons didn't like this. In fact, she hated what the results displayed. They were confusing to say the least, but in earnest, they really only brought to mind one firm conclusion…

"Hey, uh, Simmons?" Fitz said, walking into the small room, which was normally used for biohazardous material. Jemma wasn't truly working with anything toxic at the moment so much as trying to escape the Inhumans that constantly crowded her lab. Fitz clearly knew this, given that he waltzed right inside the space without a second thought.

"Fitz, I'm busy-" she started, but cut herself off once she saw the figures coming up behind him.

Lincoln and Skye.

"Hi guys," she cooed immediately, nearly hitting herself for the blunt change of tone. It wasn't hard to miss how she was acting soft for them. It also wasn't hard to miss Skye's eye roll on said subject. "How's… how's the debriefing?"

"Agent May took us to a park," said Lincoln, almost attempting to smile. "It was kind of amusing."

"But then I had to go freak out…" Skye scoffed angrily, bringing down the mood for the umpteeth time that day. Her mouth opened again and she seemed about to spiral into a rage of self-detest, but Fitz happily jumped in.

"Yeah, but I found her and she talked to me a bit," Fitz said. He cleared his throat, as though all of sudden remembering that what they'd been speaking about had not been the most pleasant experience. That got Simmons curious, but she remained quiet. "Um, anyway, I brought up her blood test results and Skye got interested. She asked about Lincoln as well and then we ran into Hunter, May and Lincoln lookin' for  _her_ , so I offered to take them back here and-"

"We want to know the results, Simmons," Skye said, eagerly cutting to the chase.

"Oh…" she murmured sheepishly, rubbing her arm. "I… well, the thing is, I'm not done analyzing them, so I can't be sure-"

"Tell us what you think, then," Skye demanded. Her eyes were cold, harsh. Simmons didn't like the ice that resided there now. No matter how dedicated a field agent Skye had become, her eyes had always remained soft with her old self.

Jemma didn't see so much as a trace of that now.

She sighed. "Ok. But be aware that this will mostly be hypotheses. And they are a bit private, so perhaps we should do this separately?"

The Inhumans shared a glance, seeming to silently communicate in a way that Simmons and Fitz had once been apt to. Still were, in fact.

"Ok," Lincoln agreed after staring into Skye's eyes for a brief period. Perhaps he read something there where Simmons only saw strident resentment. "You can go first if you want," he offered to her. "I know you don't want to talk about- I mean, I can go… tell the next part of the debrief to Agent May."

Skye nodded, her face suddenly holding no rage at all. "Thank you," she told him sincerely. He gave her a squeeze of the hand and was gone. Fitz stayed.

For a moment.

"Oh, oh! Um, I'll just… go with Lincoln then," Fitz stammered quickly when Jemma had widened her eyes and gestured to the door. Honestly, that boy was so clueless sometimes.

Except now Jemma was alone with Skye. And Skye was staring at her expectantly.

"So, um, your results are… worrying. Well, I wouldn't know that worrying is the best term for it, you're not dying or anything. I mean it is  _something,_  but you're not sick! It's just-"

"Jemma," Skye cut her off. She was using the softest voice Simmons had heard her use since she'd been back, biting her lip as she arduously brought her head up from staring at the ground. "I know what those people wanted from me."

"You… you do?" Simmons stuttered.

Skye nodded sadly. "They wanted a mini-me, just so they could… could…" Skye grit her teeth, clenched her fists, "put it through the  _hell_ they were putting Lincoln and me through."

"I'm so sorry, Skye."

Skye shook her head. "Don't be sorry. Just please,  _please_  tell me the truth. I can't be lied to or played with anymore. It would be worse than the truth. Please tell me because I can't…. I can't…"

Tears gushed from her eyes as though a dam had just broke, and Simmons didn't care that it might result in a broken wrist. She ran forward and hugged Skye.

Which was apparently the best thing she could have done, given that they collapsed to the floor a moment later as her friend's legs relinquished all their strength that had been being used to support herself. Skye pressed her head into Jemma's shoulder, seeming to cherish and crave the touch. Such a different reaction to a few hours earlier when she flinched at anyone nearing her, but now Simmons knew there was a chemical reasoning behind her actions...

"Please tell me," Skye whispered hoarsely as she continued to dig her fingertips into Simmons shirt. "I have no idea, they could have done anything- I just, I was drugged so much and- and I don't- I just... I just have to know."

Simmons brushed back her friend's hair as she cradled her, trying so hard not to let her own tears fall. But Skye's head remained buried in Jemma's shoulder, so she doubted the girl could see the few that slipped through.

After carefully wiping her face, Jemma drew her head back, facing Skye straight on with just an arm's length between them.

And she told her the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you appleblossom2, Athanasios Hallas, emilia_kaisa and Matt for commenting!!! Means a lot as always.
> 
> I think I may post another chapter this weekend so not to leave you guys hanging to long... We'll see!


	31. The Crow...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye and Lincoln discuss what to do about their orders to "breed."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning at end notes!

_**Two Weeks Ago:** _

Lincoln didn't have a clue where he was being taken. He only knew that Skye would be there when he arrived.

And that was enough.

They passed through dark hallways that reminded him of nothing he'd seen in the rest of the museum (though his information on that, too, was limited.) The other areas were white and clean. The passage he was being led down currently was dark and musty and dirty, obviously not as well kept. He came to a conclusion that this area was not normally seen by visitors. This of course had him wondering why they would bring him wherever he was going if not to entertain some rich aliens. And why had Skye gone first?

The girl that led him was a small blonde who kept absolutely silent, which Lincoln was more than happy to partake in as well. His only thoughts, his only want, was his desire to find Skye.

The girl only made one stop before arriving at their destination, turning to spritz something onto Lincoln from a small bottle. He was so distracted by realizing that the young woman leading him had been the tour guide he'd always taken to be a snide employee, that he'd almost not noticed what she'd sprayed onto Lincoln's chest.

Cologne?

Seemed slightly out of place with his incredibly casual clothes (given that he'd picked out cargo pants and a tee shirt for the day.) Though, what really was considered normal here? He wasn't entirely sure, but Lincoln knew one thing with all his heart. The way Skye had been left to greet him as though a newly wrapped present complete with a bow was the antithesis of normal.

She'd been even more dolled up since he'd last seen her. In fact with so much makeup, her hair and clothes primped and pressed, she looked more like a freaking doll than herself.

She trembled and sobbed once they'd caught each other's eyes. Lincoln might have been scared or nervous moments earlier from this new happening and the unknown future that came with it, but seeing Skye in such an unwound state had the Inhuman steeling his nerve.

He hadn't been positive why their handlers created this whole charade or what the purpose of it was, but he'd felt instantly nauseous the moment CAMI explained what they were expected to do.

" _Static and Quake will forthwith breed, until the female's reproductive cycle begins successfully."_

Lincoln could barely take those words in.

They wanted him to get Skye  _pregnant?_

He was repulsed.

While Lincoln was trying to rein in his gaping mouth from the shock Skye had glanced up at him shyly beneath her bangs, appearing very vulnerable. Too vulnerable, for her. But they'd taken her clothes and even more of her already scant control, so anything less would have been baffling. Still, she sighed in a resigned way, like she'd expected this. Clearly she'd thought through all the possibilities.

Clearly he hadn't, because Lincoln had never expected those people would ask something like this of them. Though, in hindsight, he was not entirely sure why he'd given them so much credit. Or any, really.

"No," Lincoln spat immediately. "No way. What the hell is wrong with you?"

He got a shock for that. Language, of course. He wasn't sure how he'd be able to keep curses off his tongue in this situation.

"Nothing is incorrect with my system," CAMI informed him. "The Inhumans will procreate. This is to ensure the museum a live demonstration of Terrigenesis."

"You want us to have a kid _,_  a living  _person,_  so you can have it for a science experiment?"

"No," replied CAMI evenly. "For profit."

"You're sick!"

"CAMI is a machine."

"The people who built you- who  _run_  you- are sick!" Lincoln stepped forward and away from the bed, trying to get up closer to the light. Skye's grip stopped him, her fingers twining around him like a vine and not letting him go far. He glared up at the AI and hoped that whatever cameras were undoubtedly watching them would be around there. "You hear that? Whoever the hell you are, you're a damn psychopath! Want to watch the animals screw, huh?"

He waited for the infuriating AI to say something back, but all he got were two shocks for swearing and an accompanying silence.

In fact, it was only in this lull of his outrage that he noticed Skye had dissolved into silent tears beside him, her body shaking with sobs.

"Don't worry, Skye," he said. "We're not going to do it."

She didn't respond. Only curling up her feet onto the bed so that her knees were on her chest as she began to work on dimming her tears. He still clutched her hand.

"Did you hear me, you pricks? I'm not  _raping_  her!"

"Lincoln..."

She'd said his name in such a quiet stupor, the wording must have taken her off guard. He looked down at her, finding eyes full of shock and fear.

"I promise I won't," he vowed to her.

Skye glanced down, her face screaming uncertainty. Did she think he would try something to avoid whatever retribution waited if they didn't comply?

In the end it didn't matter what she thought, though. It wasn't happening.

"CAMI recognizes that Static is not reacting correctly to his female counterpart."

Lincoln almost choked. "Of course I'm not! She's traumatized, this isn't arousal."

"Lincoln," Skye started quietly once again. Why wasn't she angrier about this? Had she mentally prepared herself that much? "I don't want to force you, but... I mean, we could…"

"No," he snapped harshly. "We're not going to let them decide this for us."

She shrugged. "I just… I could think of less attractive people to hook up with," she said, giving him a teasing smile.

"This isn't a joke Skye!"

"Don't you think I know that?" she told him, suddenly releasing his hand and standing with fervor. "I… was imagining so much worse. I didn't know who was going to walk through that door. And I thought, even if I fought, they could knock me out or… or tie me up."

Skye blinked away tears.

"Restraints are available," CAMI chimed in. "If it would create a positive reaction in the male."

" _Shut up!"_  Lincoln shouted. "She  _just_  said she was scared of that!"

"According to human biology, the female's enjoyment is preferred but not required for success. The male's is imperative."

"CAMI," Skye piped up, sudden and strong. "We're trying to have… foreplay. Your voice is ruining it. Could you shut down?"

"Foreplay is important," CAMI stated as though agreeing. "I will switch to surveillance mode. Minimal interference, though your session will be recorded."

The blue light blinked off.

"That should buy us some time," Skye muttered.

"Good," Lincoln said. "So you have a plan?"

"Only… to give them what they want."

"I said no, Skye."

"Look, I understand if you really don't want to sleep with me. I get it."

"No, that's not-"

"Just, listen," she ordered. He backed down. "Because I want you to know if you're making this valiant effort for my benefit, I don't want it!"

Lincoln was shocked, but there  _were_  a few reasons he could think of. Maybe she craved the comfort or just wanted to avoid whatever inevitable pain would come their way if they didn't comply.

"Let's say we don't do this. We get a hell of a beating or whatever and they send us back to our cells,  _if_ we manage to hold out under whatever torture they set on us for refusing. Do you think they're going to stop? It only takes  _one_ Inhuman to make a descendent."

Lincoln blinked, momentarily puzzled. Then he understood.

"Skye, I… it could be me. Maybe they'd find another girl-"

"I know it could be you! It could be either of us, both of us!" Skye exclaimed, beginning to pace the room.

"But we can't have a kid here," he told her, completely disbelieving she was even considering this. "We can't raise it in this rathole!"

How the hell was this even a conversation? Talking about their hypothetical  _child._

"But what else can we do? What else  _is_  there? We're not getting out of here Lincoln, we're  _never_  getting out of here!" she told him angrily.

"Skye, we might-"

"We're trapped for the rest of our hopeless lives, so what else can we  _do_?" she continued, acting as though he'd never spoken. While winding her hands through her hair, Skye's pacing increased until she came at him, gripping Lincoln's shoulders and shaking. "Tell me! Please, tell me you have  _something_  Lincoln because I- I don't know what to  _do_!"

He wove his hands around hers and wrapped her up in a hug, clearly triggering her sobs to begin once again. "I don't know what to do, I don't know what to do..." she whispered, over and over into his ear. And no matter how much he wanted to be strong for her, tears slipped through his eyes as well.

He eased up, staring into heartbroken eyes. Lincoln gently wiped away the messy makeup that had been caked onto her with his thumb as she continued to take in his face.

Before his frazzled mind could even register her moving forward, she touched her lips onto his.

His first instinct was to recoil just from the gross situation they'd been placed in. But she was being gentle. She gripped behind his head with one hand and kneaded softly, his lips parting and following her lead as smoothly as boats follow waves.

After a few moments she broke off. She was silent, for a while.

"I can't do this," she said, full of a quiet determination. "I just… we can't agree to this."

He put a hand to her cheek. " I know."

She sighed as though a gracious weight had been lifted off of her shoulders, though her decision did nothing to help the situation about what they  _should_  do.

"I don't want to go back," Skye admitted. "Even if we refuse this and everything goes back to the way it's been, I don't… I can't imagine how to handle it now that I've heard your voice again. Now that I can feel a  _person_."

The end of her sentence was high pitched from her tight throat, and Lincoln couldn't think of anything else to do but wrap her into yet another embrace.

Skye buried her face into him for a few moments, letting the tears run free once again. But she quieted soon enough and allowed her head to just rest sideways on his chest.

It was undoubtedly the most intimate they'd gotten since they'd met each other, but Lincoln felt only shared comfort between them. Even with Skye dressed how she was.

If anything, it only disturbed him more that they'd forced her into the costume.

Staring over the top of her head, he tenderly reached for the black bow in her hair and tugged it out gently, throwing it to the side. He knew Skye well enough to recognize that she'd never choose that as an accessory.

She looked at her feet grievously. "I want to go home, Lincoln." She sniffled. "I just want to go home."

Lincoln pursed his lips. God, he wanted to give her that. And himself. Both of them wanted that more than anything.

Maybe… maybe they could try.

"Skye," he said, the change to a sudden seriousness in his tone obviously not lost on her. She perked up. "Follow my lead, ok? And  _listen_ to me when I tell you something."

She was clearly confused at the abrupt change, but nodded vehemently.

Lincoln had hoped to get a few more times to practice this before he tried it out for real, but there was no time now.

"CAMI," he said loudly. She lit up immediately. "We're not doing it."

"It is necessary for Static and Quake to breed."

"No, it's really not," he told her, finding a grin made its way to his face as he said the words. "Actually, we were more interested in discussing a few other things. Mainly, they revolve around the fact that you're a bullshiting, bitching,  _asshole."_

Skye's eyebrows shot to the top of her head, her mouth hanging open in puzzled amusement as she blinked at him.

Expectedly, Lincoln felt a few shocks only moments after he finished cussing. He winced, taking the electricity as though he'd felt pain.

But in truth, he felt  _charged._

He'd clandestinely begun playing with sparks in his palm, just enough that it seemed to attract whatever shock they gave them.

He shouted more obscenities, not bothering to try and have reasons behind them. He just kept going, even as the shocks became more powerful. Every time they increased in caliber. He kept the static on his hands low enough to avoid most observation, puzzling the girl next to him as well as the robot.

Skye's lost face had him wishing he could tell her his plan, but she had to know he was keeping her in the dark because of the A.I. More and more she just looked curious. Intrigued.

Finally _, finally,_  after it felt like eons had passed Lincoln knew he couldn't take anymore. He wasn't even keeping up a spark on his hands; they were just emitting on their own with how charged he'd become.

He turned on the door and pushed.

A bolt of electricity with more power than he'd ever come close to in the past projected out of him. Skye held her arm to her eyes to shield from the sudden light. When he stopped, a charred and broken door was before them.

"Whoa…" Skye muttered, bringing her hand down.

Lincoln rushed forward and pushed on the scorched door. There was no handle.

"C'mon!" he shouted at her. The way she bolted, there was no way she had to be told twice.

They fled away as the alarms began blaring, red lights illuminating the darkened hallways. CAMI screamed in their ears. Well, she wasn't  _screaming,_  she never even raised her voice. But the urgency of the situation made it feel like the stupid thing was almost inside their heads. There seemed to be a speaker with her voice resonating from it every few feet.

"How the hell do we get out of here?" Lincoln asked.

"This way," Skye said, pulling his arm. Lincoln had a nagging feeling she was shooting in the dark, but chose to believe she'd been led through more of the tunnels than he had on their way to the bedroom.

Lincoln kept up his spark as CAMI continued shooting at them with electricity. Either she didn't realize that had been what caused his sudden power increase or her protocol made it so that didn't matter. It was like he was constantly being kept on a charger. Not that it really mattered as to why, as it was helpful.

They kept moving down halls, Skye leading the way as she opted not to try any of the doors. Finally, they met with a dead end.

"Crap, let's turn around-"

"Wait!" Skye said. "If you get my cuffs off, I could blast through it. I can feel the trees out there."

Skye was able sense vibrations or something, so maybe it wasn't just a hunch. In fact, it was most likely their best shot.

Lincoln nodded quickly and placed his hands on Skye's bound wrists. He shocked.

For a while.

"Why isn't it working!"

He pulled away with effort, heaving from how hard he'd been pressing and shook his head. "I don't know. They must not come off electronically."

"Then how the hell-"

Skye stopped talking as they both began to hear a soft hissing noise. Their eyes roamed the room warily.

Gas.

"Hold your breath!" she shouted. As he did so, she began beckoning him to turn around. Go back into the hallways and search for another way.

They would never make it..

Lincoln didn't even respond to her. His powers were on the max, who knew what they could do? Of course, this wall could be reinforced. If it was concrete there was no way any amount of electricity could do anything.

Or was there?

Lincoln electrified the wall, straining so hard he grit his teeth against the power as sweat immediately beaded on his forehead. Skye was holding a hand to her mouth next to him. A subtle reminder that he wasn't supposed to be breathing. But with the strain he was exerting there was no way he could stop.

Finally, the extra power seemed to run out and he fell to the ground, gasping. When he looked up, the wall was in tact. He'd failed.

But then Skye hurried forward, inspecting the space quickly, and gave the wall a fierce shove.

It crumbled.

Skye beamed as the wall turned to pieces, but Lincoln could barely see it happen. Everything was blurring.

He felt hands help him up only to belatedly realize it had been Skye. Of course, who else would it have been?

Then they were outside. They were  _outside._ Without fences or guards or play pens… anything.

Skye might have been saying something, words of encouragement as she pulled him along. He was stumbling, tripping… floating, perhaps.

She was begging him to move he realized, as he stared up into the sky from his back. Ah. He was lying down. Not sure when it had happened, but it seemed like the right thing to be doing on such a beautiful night.

There were stars in the sky. He hadn't seen the stars since he'd before he'd been captured. Outside had been a privilege for them to have only during the day.

Finally Lincoln closed his eyes, comforted by the stars and skies that worried over him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Discussions of rape/non-con. It shouldn't be much worse than anything in the past, other than the actual word "rape" being dropped.
> 
> Wow! Loved the response last chapter. Thank you Matt, Aslanscompass, bozaq, Appleblossom2, Samus and Athanasios+Hallas!!!
> 
> But yay! No forced sex happened! Escape attempt doesn't seem to be going swimmingly so far, though...


	32. ...and the Pitcher

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bobbi talks to Coulson.

_**Present Day:** _

It was sort of beautiful out, Bobbi noted, as she went to go find where Agent May had taken the Inhuman agents. She wasn't entirely sure why she was searching… perhaps because after seeing Ward and learning what he'd done, Bobbi felt she and Skye were on the same page. Or at least… ones close to each other.

"Hunter!" she called out when she saw him. She figured to see everyone else as well, but he was alone. Just leaning against a brick wall near the base exit.

"Hey Bobbi," he said, standing up more straight. "What's up?"

"Where's Lincoln and Skye?"

He shrugged in a non-committal gesture. "With Fitz. They needed a friendlier face than me at the moment, I take it." He glanced away, coy and awkward. Way too much for him, but his outspokenness shown through as he let her in on what was bugging him. "It's getting… bad, Bob."

"What is?"

"What they went through."

She swallowed. "How much were they hurt?" she croaked, reminded of her physical therapy and difficulties.

"It's not pain on the outside," he said. "I expected that. I thought they'd have been kept in a camp, a prison. Not a… zoo."

"A  _zoo?_ "

Hunter quickly caught Bobbi up on where they had been and how they'd been forced to perform their powers. And when she wasn't cringing at those thoughts, she was inwardly cursing herself for not even keeping on comms while the Inhumans told their story. Wasn't that the point of the debrief, to catch any hints so they could have a chance to trap who was behind this?

"And then- ah I can't even say it. I don't know- Lincoln said…" he started, awkwardly kneading the back of his head. "They wanted 'em to…  _breed_ , so the museum could watch their kid get its powers. Made Skye dress up to look appealing even."

"Oh my god," Bobbi said, feeling as though she might be sick. "They forced them… they forced Lincoln and Skye to...?"

"They got out!" Hunter quickly assured. "It's just that… I'm not sure how long their escape lasted."

Morse had never experienced something like this. She'd never heard of anything  _close_ to this. Of course things like assault were common and just as deplorable, but the thought of debasing someone to willingly do something so private for science, profit or mere  _entertainment_ … she'd never even considered it.

"We have to tell Coulson."

"What?" asked Hunter. "Why! There's no way Skye would want him to know. She went mental and flipped out just at the start of talking about it to  _us_. Ran off and asked Lincoln to say it so she wouldn't have to hear." Hunter sighed. "Plus Coulson's like her father, or something."

"But this isn't right!" Bobbi shrieked. "It's so personal… We need to bring in outside help."

She turned abruptly, beelining for Coulson's office with Hunter quick on her tail. She tried not to hear Hunter's loud and hurried protests behind her. This couldn't go on. It  _shouldn't_  go on. They weren't only forcing them to relive what they'd been through but to tell their friends how they'd been cheapened into less than human beings. Bobbi didn't know what was worse, but she knew only one was necessary.

Except… Kane could slip out of their grasp if they waited for another professional. This needed to be done quickly. But damn it, she needed to help them!

It was as these thoughts swam rapidly through her mind that she walked into Coulson's office, the man clearly going over the first part of Lincoln and Skye's interview that had been transferred to text and was now being shown via hologram. Arranging the intel as casually as though organizing grandma's old recipe cards.

Hunter was right. She couldn't tell Coulson what they'd been through. She couldn't stop the debrief for any length of time, as long as they were willing to keep going. It would be irresponsible.

"What is it, Morse?"

"Sir-"

"Bobbi, c'mon, don't!" Hunter said as he rushed in.

She took a breath. "Grant Ward needs to be taken out. Permanently."

"Oh, Bob-" Hunter began to wail, then blinked stupidly as he checked himself. "Wait, that wasn't really what I expected her to say…"

"Me neither," admitted Coulson. "What's bringing this up?"

She straightened herself. "After speaking with him, Simmons, Skye and I discovered that he is responsible for Skye and Lincoln's capture."

"Really?" Coulson said, as though only mildly concerned. "And who authorized this chat with him?"

Bobbi pursed her lips in irritation.  _That's_ what he was dwelling on? "Uh, no one. Me, really. But… did you not hear me, sir?"

"I did. We'll add it to his already large list of crimes. Now, if there's nothing else-"

"There's nothing else, but you didn't exactly address my first point."

"We're not executing a prisoner, Morse," he said incredulously. "I don't know why you think that's in the cards."

She nearly lost it. "Are you kidding? I don't know why you wouldn't care when  _he's_  the reason the woman you think of as your daughter has PTSD!"

Coulson's expression turned from hard to soft in an instant, which was honestly not the reaction she expected from the man after such a crass comment. She didn't expect Hunter cooing her name either, wrapping a hand around her shoulder.

But then, she didn't exactly expect herself to be crying, though.

God, she couldn't keep track of even her own emotions anymore when she was supposed to be a meter for everyone's around her. He'd ruined her. Ward had ruined her. And Skye, and Lincoln. Fitz and Simmons… his death had been Simmons' idea in the first place!

Bobbi'd had a chunk of her lung removed and her knee busted for weeks, but she'd been with her close friends the entire time. She wasn't the one to have been kept in a human zoo, but she was the ruined one.

 _I'm not ruined,_  she told herself suddenly.  _I'm not. I'm overreacting._

She wiped her glossy eyes and breathed out slowly. "I'm sorry. This situation has got me warped… I guess."

"It's ok," Coulson said gently. "Maybe try to stay away from… the Ward topic, for a while."

"Fine," she agreed harshly, becoming instantly aware that was indeed what caused these outbursts. "But think about what I said."

He sighed once again. "Morse, you know we can't-"

"Do it for Skye, Coulson," she said firmly. It wasn't a shout. It was an order, but not in terms of overstepping her rank. Merely telling him who it would truly be benefiting. "They both deserve something. Peace."

Coulson tilted his head and scrutinized her. Perhaps her people reading skills weren't as botched as she thought, since she was able to decipher the thought he was unwilling to voice right off her face.

_Are you sure it's not for your own peace?_

No, she wasn't sure. Not completely. If anything, it wasn't  _just_  for herself. She really cared about them, even if her empathy was caused in part by her own traumatic experience.

She turned around to exit as Coulson allowed the air to remain still and quiet. She stopped in her tracks though, because Hunter had been right.

"You shouldn't listen to their story anymore Coulson."

The director stiffened with worry. "Why? Did something hap-"

"I don't know, honestly," she said, though clearly something had happened. But she knew what he'd meant. Had something… worse than they already knew happened. "But if it did, you know you shouldn't be there. It's not fair… to her."

Coulson stood stunned, but nodded in utter agreement. "Ok."

It sounded like he wanted to say more but syrup that was caught in his throat stopped him. It sounded like she had just made the director near choke on tears from the mere mention of something unmentionable.

Bobbi hoped with all her might that she would be able to reassure him soon, and that there'd be no need to mention the unmentionable ever again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so I split up two past chapters cause they made more sense separated, which added two more present day chaps, which added four chapters in all before we get to the point of time convergence! GAAAH. I'm really going to try to speed up posting but I have to work double this week and then starting next week I'm out of town so we'll see... I should be finishing up a video project soon, which means more time for writing though!
> 
> And of course, my lovely commenters: AslansCompass, Appleblossom2, Athanasios Hallas. And Matt... you'll just have to wait and see!


	33. The Frogs...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye and Lincoln find solace in one another after their rough escape.

_**Two Weeks Ago-ish** _

"C'mon Lincoln, just a little farther! Urgh... damn it!"

Skye was crippled under Lincoln's weight and her feet were aching against the coarse forest floor, her stockings shredded into tatters. He was helping her as much as he could, but the guy was delirious from breathing in the knockout gas. To be honest, she was shocked he wasn't rolling to the ground already.

"Skye… Skye…"

"Shh, it's ok," she said, needing him to save his strength. She was hauling over half his body weight now. "We just have to – uh- keep going!"

"But Skye, the sky! There's stars."

Oh sweet baby Jesus, Lincoln.

It was true, the sight above them was beautiful. A cloudy sky with few enough lights surrounding them that the stars were still bright throughout the massive space.

Though, two things were wrong with that declaration of such: one, Lincoln was getting dangerously loopy. She was going to lose her grip on him at any moment. It was dark, and though the sky was bright the trees held enough cover where they couldn't see much. She couldn't drag him through the rainforest like that.

Two: They were definitely in a desolate area, no lights to keep the stars at bay. Skye suspected as much, considering freaking  _rainforest_ , but she'd hoped the facility was near a city.

She could hope for… a village, maybe?

This was a horrible escape attempt, she realized miserably. They needed to get a communication device, or collect information on their location,  _something_  that didn't lead them out into a life-threatening forest with no clue how to get somewhere and absolutely no gear to survive in the wilderness.

They had just been so desperate. Skye knew she'd freaked out, which probably rushing Lincoln into a plan that could have been their finest chance if they'd only waited. She had no idea when he discovered he could… absorb the electricity, but it had been their best shot.

And now the museum knew as much, so those people could just recollect them and re-adjust their settings or whatever, making sure they'd never escape.

Lincoln finally gave out, seeming to lie deliberately on his back to get a good view of the blue masterpiece glinting above the trees before his eyes shut.

Skye knew it was no good to try and wake him. She pulled him into some brush, attempting to gather the larger leaves to cover them with when lightning lit the sky like fireworks. Skye wondered if anyone outside could see their silhouettes when that happened.

Rain started falling, so lightly at first she could barely feel it through the haven of leaves, but soon it was crashing down. Even though they were still semi-protected both of them were getting wet. Would most likely be soaked by the time the storm was over.

Skye sighed, drawing her knees up to her chest as she shivered. The lacy outfit did nothing to keep her warm and neither of them had shoes.

She hadn't seen or heard anyone come out after them. There was a chance that no humans worked there but Tessa, who of course did not appear capable of recapturing specimen. Perhaps the museum had been so sure they wouldn't escape that CAMI had been the sole major one there.

The teensy light of hope that lit inside her at the thought had been smothered quickly, once again realizing that they had a very small chance of survival out here. She hadn't gotten to wilderness training just yet, and Lincoln was… well, pre-med.

In fact, Skye realized she  _wanted_  them to send people after them.

People she could take. A couple guards so unprepared for the prisoners to escape that they didn't even seem to be on the clock surely wouldn't be prepared for a SHIELD agent to take them on.

The flame of hope flourished in her heart again. It was still small, but it was all she had.

For now, she supposed, she'd just enjoy the fact that she was with another warm body.

But it  _would_  be weird to cuddle with him, right?

* * *

"Hey, there you are," Skye said as Lincoln opened his eyes. Well,  _almost_ opened his eyes. He assumed she must have been pretty close to notice the flutter.

"Here I am," he agreed gruffly, sitting up. "What happened?"

"You shocked us out," Skye told him. "But, uh… now we're in the middle of a rainforest. With absolutely zero other information. And I don't really think we should try moving again until we can see, or we could just end up walking right back into their hands…"

"Oh Jesus," he grumbled as he took in the unsavory predicament. It really was dark; he could just make out Skye's form by the light of the flipping  _stars_. "I'm so sorry, I screwed us over big time."

Skye tried to smile. "Not your fault. It's… theirs. You missed a hell of a storm though."

Lincoln felt like an idiot, only noticing she was soaked to the bone once she'd mentioned the rain. She was completely curled up into herself, arms trying desperately to cover more of her legs than they possibly could. The forest had certainly taken a toll on her delicate outfit, the lace garment now shredded in multiple places.

"You're cold," he stated.

"Yeah, a bit," she said, obviously attempting to hide chattering teeth beneath her lips. "You'd think the tropics would be warmer…"

"You think we're in the tropics?"

"Uh, rainforest?" she countered. "I mean, I'm pretty sure that's what this is, based on the canopies, and how often it rains…"

"Do you want my shirt?" he asked. Abruptly. Kind of oddly, but she was cold. "Or maybe my pants would better?"

Oh god, he'd made it weirder.

"Then you'll be cold," she pointed out. "Plus, it's always annoying to put on something that's already wet."

True.

"But uh…" Skye started awkwardly. "Ok, I'm gonna say that obvious trope used on TV to get should-be couples to cuddle. But people… are warm?"

Lincoln grinned. "That's definitely a scientific fact."

"Also, I really just have this urge to touch people. Like, not in a weird way! But…" She sighed, getting flustered. "I think I might just be a hug addict when this is all over."

_If it's ever over._

Lincoln hated that the thought popped into his head, but even as he hoped to counter and deny it, he was aware that was the realistic truth.

He scooted over to her. "It makes sense," he said casually. "We'll just call it… Human Interaction Deprived Platonic Hugging."

"Wow," she said, curling into him. Her back settled against his chest and he felt her chilled skin on his neck. "That's a long statement. Can we shorten it? Maybe an acronym?" She tilted her head. "H-I-D-P-H, hid-pha…" Skye sounded out lamely. "Doesn't exactly roll off the tongue."

Lincoln laughed, and from behind Skye he saw the corners of her mouth tilt upward. It made him feel warmer than her body heat. He figured she was the one who needed more though. He wrapped his arms around as much of Skye's body as he could, until she shivered, sighed and settled farther on top him. A small reprieve seemed to have washed over her.

"You can go to sleep," he said. "I rested. Your turn."

"I'm actually on top of that," she chirped contently.

Oh. Her eyes were already closed.

Lincoln felt Skye lightly draw on his arm with her finger for a while. He wasn't sure she was even aware of herself doing it, gradually slowing into a stop as she drifted.

* * *

"Skye," Lincoln said, nudging her. "Skye, wake up."

"Hm?" she murmured, sitting up from the ground. Dirt caked the side of her cheek.

"It's morning," he told her, referencing the fire red that illuminated the trees. Sunrise couldn't have been much earlier. "Should we move?"

Skye tilted her head sideways with silent thought. She really didn't think it would do any good, honestly. If you were going to house an alien museum somewhere on earth, would you really put it anywhere that people would have the slightest chance of bumping into it?

"Yeah, let's go," she replied, picking herself up.

It couldn't hurt to check.

Skye grumbled as twigs picked her feet apart while they trudged through the wet jungle.

"Do you think they've tried looking for us?" Lincoln asked.

"Um, I don't know," Skye said, still focusing most of her attention on the ground. "I didn't get very far. If they sent out anyone… I feel like they would have run into us. Like, don't they have… life scanners or something?"

"I guess it's a blessing," said Lincoln.

"Yeah…" Skye wasn't so sure. If something was too easy, there was usually a reason for it. "But Lincoln, listen. If someone does find us, you have to give it everything you've got to get a hold of their weapons, or coms… anything. It's our last chance. They could have us in those cages from now until the end of- urg, ow! Stupid twigs. Why aren't you having so much trouble?"

Lincoln shrugged. "I go to the beach a lot."

"I go to the beach!" she said indignantly, not entirely sure why she felt the need to defend such a statement.

She really didn't get beach outings too often nowadays.

"Well the beach I frequented is rocky. Maybe your feet just aren't calloused."

"Ok… well whatever. Did you hear what I said about-"

"Yeah, I got it. Now or never."

Skye nodded grimly. She pulled ahead of Lincoln, walking with more determination when –  _snap!_

Lincoln hissed in pain, putting Skye on red alert immediately as she spun around. No one was there, but Lincoln was kneeling on one leg.

On the other was a cuff around his ankle.

"Ah,  _Jesus…_ " he snarled.

"What happened?" Skye asked, inspecting it. The cuff linked to a chain that wove into the ground. And it looked deep rooted.

"It just-" he huffed, "just popped out of the ground!"

"What's wrong?"

"It  _hurts,"_  he grit out.

Skye knelt down to get a better look at it. "Crap."

"What?"

"It's got teeth."

"Like… a bear trap?"

"Exactly like a bear trap," Skye mumbled, frustrated they were being compared to animals once again. "And there's a red light on it. It's either tracking us or that's…"

"What?"

"It could be a detonator, if we try to remove it."

Lincoln stared blankly for a few seconds, trying to comprehend.

Then he growled.

"Damn it! We were making it! Damn it, damn it!" he shouted desperately, hitting the ground in a rage before falling backwards onto his backside.

"Hey, hey, hey," Skye cooed, rushing to his side as he clutched his own head in frustration. "Don't get upset; we'll work it out."

"Like we've worked out everything so far?" He laughed humorlessly. "Look at us. They make us perform like a traveling freak show. Turned you into a  _broodmare,_ " he said, gesturing at her degrading outfit.

Skye scowled. "You mean they  _tried._ "

"They're going to try again! All we've succeeded in doing is making bigger fools of ourselves than we already had. You get why they didn't send anyone after us right away, yeah?"

Skye bit her lip. "Because they knew we'd run into a trap…"

"Exactly. Why go waste your time when there's a hundred miles of woods. The wild animals will eventually be stupid enough to get caught by one before they get out of there."

She brought a hand to his shoulder. "Lincoln…"

"Just go, Skye," he said, shoving her off. "Try to make it as far as you can without falling into one these." He rattled his leg angrily, but pain had him wincing and forced him to stop the action.

Skye shook her head. "Didn't you hear me before? There's no walking out of here. This… this could be a good thing. I can hide, wait for them to get here. We could get the jump on them and get their equipment!"

Lincoln tilted his head curiously, still breathing heavy from his anger he was trying to rid himself of. "You think… you think that could work?"

Skye nodded in a firm jerk. "It's the best chance we've run into this whole time."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you emilia_kaisa, Aslanscompass, and of course Appleblossom2, who always leaves such detailed reviews :D Thanks guys!


	34. ...Desiring a King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fitz, Simmons and May discuss what's going on with Skye.

_**Present Day:** _

"So, that was the beginning of the end to our escape attempt…" Skye mumbled bitterly. "Though, I kind of think that getting outside the facility was what helped Raina find us. We must have been blocked from her visions when we were in there."

"Make sense, I suppose," said Fitz, and May turned to see him rubbing his chin pensively. "They probably knew there was a clairvoyant out there that could be looking for you."

May noted that Skye had been acting different as she told of her and Lincoln's escape than what her usual mood had been the rest of the day. Her anger wasn't making its overzealous appearance as before. She appeared generally more… sad. But open.

As May took in the soft heartache playing across her face, the door they had been waiting to open did just that. Skye stood immediately at the abrupt sound of such.

Lincoln walked out of the room, looking strangely accepting as he trudged and Skye headed straight for him. She whispered something to her friend, taking his hand and leading him to another room.

"Where are they off to?" asked Fitz.

May shrugged. "Skye did say she wanted to speak with Lincoln. Alone."

Simmons had come out of the door behind Lincoln appearing as though she were ill and hadn't been able to sleep for days because of such. She sighed. "I'm afraid that's not surprising," she said softly. "I had to tell Skye… well, she asked about her results and…"

Simmons began to get choked up over whatever she was saying, but May waited patiently.

Fitz, less so.

"Is she ok?" he insisted.

"Well I suppose that's relative, isn't it? I mean she's not dying, or sick..."

"But what-"

"S-she's pregnant."

May inhaled a sharp breath while Simmons covered her mouth, as though able to jam the words that had just slipped out back in. "I shouldn't have said that..." the scientist mumbled.

"What! No… but, but they got away-" Fitz stammered. "May and I just listened to Skye talk about it. They were in the rainforest. They'd escaped!"

"Fitz," Jemma said softly. "You know as well as I do where the team found them. And it wasn't in the woods…"

"What about Lincoln's test results?" May inquired. "You'd said there was something off about him."

"Yes," Simmons nodded. "Hallucinogens. Perhaps they… dosed Lincoln so he wouldn't know what he was doing to... to Sk-  _with_  Skye… oh bloody hell." She covered her face. "This is just awful."

"No," Fitz said firmly. "They never- they didn't-" He sighed, trying to gather his words. "I don't believe Lincoln and Skye have ever slept together."

Simmons looked up from her her hands timidly, bleary eyed. "You… you don't?"

"What makes you think that?" May asked, truly curious.

"Well, you know… the way Skye said it."

"The  _way_ she said it?" May asked doubtfully.

"Yeah. It was like the one thing she'd been happy to tell us about this entire debrief. And was actually… relieved?" he told them. "I don't think she would have sounded like that if they'd had to do it… in the future."

"Then what on earth do you make of these readings, Fitz?" asked Simmons heatedly.

"I don't know…" he admitted, biting his fingertip and searching the ground as though to find an answer there. His head perked up. "What did Skye say, exactly? When she asked for the results?"

Simmons glanced away shyly, holding her arm in defense. "She just really wanted the truth. Begged for it, really," she mumbled. "But, she also said she didn't know what had happened due to the frequency of the drugs…"

"Well, there you go!" exclaimed Fitz with excitement.

Simmons shook her head. "I don't understand."

"Skye was nervous about it already. They'd told her clear as day what they'd wanted from them, and when I'd mentioned the test results it probably got her curious as to if they'd gone to… other methods, to uh, get her to… conceive."

"That means they succeeded," May concluded, now caught up and her mind rolling with the situation. She scowled as it became crystal clear.

They had tampered with her while she'd been unconscious.

May couldn't help the partially rage-induced nausea at the thought. If she ever came accross the people who'd done this…

Simmons appeared similarly sick, though nodded in agreement at May's statement. "We never even got her out of that horrific nightmare then; she's still living it!"

 _But this time, there's no hope they could rescue her from it,_  May thought in realization.

What were they going to do when this kid came?

"That's what she'd meant when she didn't want me to touch her!" Simmons exclaimed in epiphany. "She said they'd put something in her. I thought she'd meant the nanochip. Oh my god, this is so much worse." She stopped her worried rambling only for a moment to appear pensive. "I'm going to have to go over… options, with her. About the b-baby..."

"Wait, wait wait!" Fitz said hurriedly. "We can't jump to conclusions."

Simmons scoffed. "No one is jumping, Leo! We've taken a very logical route to these answers and unfortunately, they seem to be the case!"

"But you said yourself the results were odd," Fitz protested.

May turned to the girl expectantly.

"I mean, yes… but it appears to be  _incredibly_ young. These tests are difficult with such a new fetus. But I suppose some of it doesn't add up even taking that into account..."

"Like what?" May asked.

Jemma sighed. "Well, when women conceive, their bodies create hormones for the baby. But Skye's are… strange. Just off, slightly."

"Hybrids like Lincoln's drugs," Fitz said presumptively.

"Why would her own body create hormones incorrectly though?" May asked.

"I haven't a clue… even with Inhuman-" Simmons eyes widened as she froze mid sentence. And, in an almost eerie gesture, a slow smile crept up her face. "Because they weren't created, they were given to her! It's not natural!"

"Exactly!" Fitz said, clearly relieved they were finally on the same page.

"So she isn't pregnant?" asked May.

"Perhaps not! The only question is why?" pondered Simmons. "Why give Skye estrogen and Lincoln hallucinogens? And Ecstasy."

"Hell if I know…" muttered Fitz. "I worked out the other bit."

"You realize there's only one way to find out," said May to Fitzsimmons' puzzled faces. "Hear the rest of their story."

As if on cue, Skye and Lincoln walked out of the room they'd been in.

Which had been a bathroom.

Why had they- oh.

May could tell the moment she saw Skye, as well as Lincoln standing next to her with scissors.

"Hey guys," Skye said. Chipperly. Far more chipper than she'd been the entire day. She held onto Lincoln's hand, grazing his fingers tenderly. "Should we finish?"

"Um.." Fitz began, but only managed incoherent mumbles.

"Of course," May offered, not allowing the sight of Skye to catch her visibly off guard.

"Great!" Skye announced and turned, giving the agent a complete view of the Inhuman's new short hair as it bounced with her steps.

"She cut her hair," Fitz muttered dumbly. May couldn't resist an eye roll.

Simmons appeared just as confounded. "Why-"

"She probably wanted a change," explained May.

"Yes…" started Simmons. "Best not to bring any attention to it I think."

Fitz nodded as Skye beckoned them once again, and soon the three were following the two Inhumans once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a bit of a confusing roller coaster, eh?
> 
> Thank you to appleblossom2 and Matt!!


	35. The Hart...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye and Lincoln await the museum workers to find them.

_**Two-ish Weeks Ago** _

Skye didn't know who was going to come to gather up herself and Lincoln for the return. But whoever the lucky winner of the job was had certainly been taking their sweet old time.

A good few hours had passed since Skye had dutifully took place behind the cover of a tree. Lincoln sat in pain a few meters away. They were making him wait to just s _uffer_ through it, most likely aware of his predicament.

Lincoln tried a couple half-hearted shocks to get the trap off, but after even his super-boosted power didn't work on Skye's cuffs, he didn't have much hope. After his attempts he noted his powers to be extremely doused anyhow, the metal inhibiting him somehow.

Meanwhile, Skye just poked some leaves with a stick just to watch them bounce back and forth. It reminded her of how, at the beginning of her training, she was trying very hard to shadow her SO. To observe and study everything like he did. Once when trying to appear involved, she'd poked the specimen with a stick.

God, Ward had probably laughed his ass off to Garrett about his hapless rookie.

Something Skye tried to keep out of her mind because she really just couldn't puzzle it out, was Ward. Why had he tried to rescue them at the fights? Even after hurting Bobbi, losing Kara, taking out SHIELD teams purposefully since then, did he really just want to win Brownie points with her?

Well, she certainly didn't expect him to show up and rescue her from  _here._

Hell, Skye wasn't even sure where 'here' was. A jungle, a rainforest… maybe. Even if she was right, the exact location wasn't exactly a short list.

She needed a phone. A weapon first, perhaps, to keep them in line while she used said phone.  _Them,_  being a gracious word. Could be one guy. Could be a thousand. Could be dogs coming to herd them back, or robots.

She really hoped it wasn't dogs or robots. That would kind of ruin her plan, considering she didn't know how to use a robot to make calls and dogs were generally technology deficient.

A quiet rustling had Skye's ears perked, her head training to listen. Sounds of boots on the forest floor hurried forward. She focused on her keeping her heartbeat even as she compartmentalized.

"What the hell…" she heard Lincoln mutter in bewilderment. " _You?"_

The rustling stopped. "Well, look what we have here. I figured it wouldn't take very long for one of you to run into the traps."

Skye's heart nearly  _stopped_  beating.

It was Kane.

Why was he there? She thought one of the few good things about being…  _sold_ had been that they were rid of that psycho.

"So…" Kane started conversationally. "I'm honestly curious, what was going through your itty bitty brains when you attempted to escape?"

"We didn't attempt," Lincoln huffed. "We succeeded."

Kane made a small noise lace with amusement, and Skye just  _knew_  he was grinning. "No, you didn't. You've never left our radar. The museum owns this entire area, and if you  _had_ been anywhere near a border the sensors would have picked it up. Not that you could have gotten there without a few more days… and dear boy, I do think you'd be dead by then."

Skye heard more rustling, maybe Lincoln being pulled from the ground since he then grunted. There were other people with Kane. Skye didn't know why he was here in the first place, but clearly he didn't like being absent of his lackeys at any time.

She needed to make a move, soon.

"Are you going to take me back to your fights?" asked Lincoln.

Kane hesitated. "Your little stunt assured there will not be any fights, for the time being. We have to recollect our specimen," he said, grumbling. "Meanwhile, I've been forced to work for this godforsaken museum. Which isn't  _horrific,_  I suppose, given that-" He stopped.

Skye heard a sound she knew overly well as a SHIELD agent: a fist hitting flesh.

And the sound appallingly becoming increasingly familiar, a pained moan from Lincoln.

"You  _clever_  animal!" Kane chirped happily. "Got me chatting when I should be the one asking questions. Speaking of which… where is your little girlfriend?"

Skye tried to not allow the fact that the lowlife had just  _hit_  her chained up friend compromise her, remaining silent.

"She's not my  _girlfriend_ , no matter what you people want," Lincoln spat. "But I'm sure Skye is long gone by now."

"While I'm sure she isn't." Kane snapped his fingers. "And I am a betting man."

Skye heard the footsteps again as the guards began their search. With a lucky start, they were clearly heading in her direction.

 _Better give them something to find,_  she thought.

Skye hopped out into only one guard's view as the man turned, delivering a quick jab to the throat to immediately keep him quiet. Another to the groin and he was on the ground; would be howling if she hadn't taken his voice.

She threw balled fists at his face until he was out and reached for his gun. Curiously, a feather stuck out from the barrel of such… a tranquilizer, she promptly realized.

After grabbing the practically harmless gun she searched the man for a mobile or walkie or-  _yes,_  a cell phone!

Skye punched in Coulson's number in a flash.

In the back of her mind, Skye registered Kane saying something about the other guard getting off Lincoln's cuff so they could transport the Inhuman back. With scary realization, Skye noted that she wasn't really sure whether that entailed detaching it from the forest or from the man.

"Ian," Kane called out. "Why don't I hear searching?"

Skye threw the phone as far as possible.

It only seemed logical. She had no idea where she was. The only way it would be of any use was if they traced the technology, and at that point she hadn't connected so much as to hear any ringing.

"Sounds like he's way out there," said another guard, gesturing towards the phone's landing plot.

"Hmm."

"Ah!" Lincoln gasped in pain.

"Contain the bleeding," Kane ordered. "I want him able to stand for the guests."

"So you are in charge here," Lincoln guessed presumptively.

"More like manager," Kane said without thinking. "And no more questions! If you know what's good for you…"

Skye continued to wait behind her tree. If anything, Coulson would look into the odd call. Even if he didn't hear Lincoln's voice. Even if he didn't hear anything.  _Please Coulson, you have to try to trace it..._

" _There_  you are!"

The uppercut had hit her nose so quickly that Skye didn't have an ounce of time to react. The guard's words had in actuality been said after she'd been punched. It was just that somehow she'd registered the sentence before the hurt had set in.

As she stumbled, another guard yanked her arms behind her back. The cuffs melded together instantly and she was once again stuck.

Skye closed her eyes in pain.  _Shit, shit, shit._

At least she'd gotten the phone, and took out a guard…

One of the men hauled her out to where Kane sat holding a cloth to Lincoln. Her friend had a dart sticking out of his shoulder, which explained why he hadn't tried to warn her when the guards had gotten too close. The sight of him bleeding and unconscious had her rage building, but she was forced to fight to stifle it.

"Well, aren't you... menacing," Kane said lazily, looking over her with disdain. She wished she could fix the ripped outfit now draping over her body, leaving her more exposed than she'd ever care to be in his presence. She felt his eyes roaming, aware his mocking stemmed from her compromised image. "You could have at least  _attempted_  to make this difficult."

Skye hated that they had her again. But it was working. Her plan was working. SHIELD could find out where they were. This outcome was honestly the best she could have hoped for. Calling for help was their only option within these miles of wilderness.

That didn't mean she had to  _like_  being captured over and over.

Skye stood tall, letting her malice shine through. "When you rig the game, it's not actually all that fun to play," she countered.

"That's probably true." He grinned. "For you. Take her back," he instructed, waving his hand as though shooing a pesky wasp.

Skye was shoved, the sensation stirring memories of the last time she'd encountered these people. Unfortunately, other than Lincoln in the past day, the frequent pushes and beatings were the last remnants of human contact she'd had at all, and therefore her freshest memories of such.

Kane ordered a guard to bring Lincoln as well. Skye swiveled her head, expecting to see them lift Lincoln onto their shoulders or something. Why she'd presumed they'd treat their prisoner with an ounce of decency, Skye didn't know.

They began  _dragging_  him through the dirt; through the branches and bushes.

"Hey!" Skye bucked in the guard's grip. "Hey! You can't do that! I thought we-"

"Were artifacts of the museum?" Kane guessed. "That we don't want you hurt? Just in case you've forgotten your own anatomy, here's a reminder: you  _heal_. If anything, a few bruises will remind him not to try this stunt again."

"He didn't  _do_ anything wrong!" Skye growled, thrashing heatedly. Snarling. The guard moved forwards so his body was pushed against her back as he gripped her cuffed hands tight. A solid wall.

Skye head-butted backwards.

Ok,  _ow._

It didn't matter that her head felt like it was split open because the move had distracted the guard long enough for her to run towards Lincoln. Kane was in front of them, but he didn't even attempt to get in the way of her rampage.

Coward.

Skye's hands were still cuffed and people were shouting at her to stand down, but she faced the man holding Lincoln head on. Right up until he promptly dropped her friend like a heap of dirty laundry.

That only fueled Skye's anger and she barreled forwards.

He held his hands out to catch her so she ducked, pivoting behind him. She flung a firm kick to his back and he stumbled forward. As he lost his footing, Skye jutted out her chest and thrust her body firmly onto him, sending the man flying to the ground.

"Idiots!" Kane shrieked. There was a glimmer of fear in his eyes, but the nervous orbs soon trailed down to her cuffs. The reassurance of her restriction allowed him to hide his anxiety once again.

Skye stood over Lincoln protectively. Like he was her cub and she was one pissed off lioness, her entire being daring anyone to come near them.

Unfortunately, they did dare. And more than one of them against a handless Skye was beyond enough to take her down.

One easily grabbed her and though she tried to kick, another stepped up and sent a jab to her abdomen that was so forceful she doubled over immediately. Then he did it again. She fell to her knees next to Lincoln.

Skye bit her lip, her eyes closing as she braced herself against the pain and disappointment. Mainly the latter, since she was becoming more and more accustomed to frequent physical suffering. She had to remind herself that her friends could come.  _Would_ come. That there was hope.

But the luxury of a warm hope was far off when you were lying beaten and cold on damp and unforgiving ground, reminded once again to be nothing more than a subdued prisoner.

Kane walked towards them until his booming form loomed over her. "And  _what,_  pray tell, was that meant to accomplish?"

Skye didn't respond. Mainly because she had nothing to say, but honestly, it was likely she had been talking too much throughout this whole experience. Snapping harsh remarks at them when the smart thing had been to stay quiet. That's what being a SHIELD agent had taught her.

But she wasn't a SHIELD agent here. She was just a gifted they were trying to exploit. And she'd wanted to defend herself. Defend her entire species, damn it!

Kane's hand wrapped harshly around her throat, forcing Skye onto her feet even as her body wanted to lean over, still yearning to guard her aching stomach.

"Nothing but rabid dogs," he commented, appraising her lightly.  _Squeezing_  her neck, but holding her far enough away where Skye couldn't head-butt or kick him easily. Though even as he choked her, he wasn't trying to kill her. Oh no. Only scare her, only trying to get her to cower like an abused creature terrified of her tormenter.

In that moment, the moment she realized that his power of them was directly linked to their obedience to the man, Skye made a decision.

She was done.

With everything. She was done being shocked, dressed, prodded, violated and ordered around for whatever scraps of comfort these people permitted her, only to be hurt again after following so many of their ridiculous orders.

She was done being a circus freak. A breeding mule, a doll. A field trip exhibit or an indentured servant.

She. Was.  _Done._

Skye jammed her teeth down on Kane's hand as hard as she could muster. Her canine's sank instantly deep passed his skin. The man let go of her immediately, like she was suddenly as hot as embers.

But she didn't.

She bit until he bled, until he  _screamed,_  until Skye had to be forced off of him by the guards. But still she held on, snarling in pure anger and animalistic rage that had manifested from copious amounts of isolation and fear, that had been begging to be released for months. Skye might have even found herself relishing in the iron taste beginning to coat her mouth in warmth.

She spat some of liquid back at the man before being hauled away too far. He screeched in horror at his bleeding fingers, clutching at his hand and desperately trying to wrap it in his shirt.

His face held more anger than she'd ever seen, an impressive feat considering he was a  _maniac,_  as he stepped forwards and backhanded her. Call it adrenaline or pure overdue fulfillment, but the hard hit had barely felt like a tap to her numb being. The attack had mainly served to cause Skye to question if the blood on her face was only his or now mingled with her own.

"Bitch!" he spat.

"You wanted a dog," she bit out quietly. Dangerously. "I just gave you what you asked for."

A guard huffed a laugh. He immediately regretted it by the way his eyes bulged with timidity, as Kane rounded on him with flame lit fury in his eyes. "And what the  _hell_  about this do you find funny?"

The guard backed down, wisely, but Kane seemed to require an answer. "You, uh, called her a bitch. Which  _is_  a dog…"

"And I want you to shoot her like one!" Kane hollered. He ripped a gun out of his belt and shoved it into the guard's hands, forcibly curling the man's fingers around the body of the weapon. Skye couldn't help but recoil in sudden fright at the scene; she hadn't realized how far over the edge she'd pushed him.

The man looked lost as he held the weapon. "But… she's not yours anymore. That boss guy would be angry…"

"Like I give a damn!"Kane yelled. "Point the gun between the tramp's eyes and pull the trigger!"

The guard didn't look like he was chomping at the bit to do it, but he also didn't seem to have that "oh god no please don't make me murder someone face." More like he didn't want to go along with what the big kids were playing because he knew they'd get in trouble with the teacher.

When Skye realized there was no one there to aid her, to debate this, she couldn't help but bolt. Her flight response had kicked in over fight, more than likely because fight had failed her one too many times. Her body was hurt and slow as she fumbled quickly, guards latching onto either side of her arms to keep her still as she was once again ordered to her knees. The bulky man stepped up to her and placed the barrel between the agent's eyes, resting just barely on the bridge of her nose.

Skye couldn't bring herself to shed a tear or look into her executioner's eyes. She was as dead inside as she knew her body was going to be in just a few moments, her gaze only fit for the broken branches of an idle forest floor.

It was her own fault anyway. If she'd just laid back, done what they'd said… not so much as annoyed Kane or CAMI as frequently as she had, she'd be around to help Lincoln get out of this.

Because there was still hope, for him. Lincoln would be alone when he woke up but he didn't have to be alone for long. Forever.

In fact, maybe she was getting the better end of the deal. It was going to be over in an instant, for her.

The solace in that was enlightening.

"What the hell?" Kane demanded, his face jerking into her own and distracting the weapon-toting guard. "Are you  _smiling_?"

Skye hadn't even realized as much until he'd said the words, but she had been. The immense relief had upturned her mouth.

"Why the hell are you smiling? You have a gun directed at you!" He looked around helplessly. "I'm about to kill you!"

At that point, she nearly laughed. But there was still that gun in her face.

She didn't look at him, opting to stare ahead into dead space as she thought over her response. It was a simple one. The first that came to mind in fact.

"Because I'm done," she said, shrugging nonchalantly.

Kane blinked, only for a moment to process her words before he smirked. "Right you are, girl…" he said, taking the gun from the guard and putting it back into place before her.

Skye closed her eyes.

She didn't wince or cower, she just closed them. She was ready and accepting.

Maybe this was how to be a good agent. Taking death on with your head held high. It certainly felt… right.

She quietly waited for the loud shot to bring an absence to her everything, but it never came. Instead she heard a rattling. A frustrated insistent shaking.

"I can't do this!" Kane suddenly called in what surely sounded like irritation, and Skye's eyes opened with alert at the noise. "She's too damn happy about being killed."

Ok, happy was probably too strong a word… but she was currently glad to be giving off that impression.

He shoved her face down into the dirt, took her by the hair and shook. "You're going to die, girl! Do you hear me?"

She turned her head to the side almost lazily, huffing out a tired breath. "Do it, then," she muttered.

He was unmoving for a moment. Then a growl erupted from the man's throat as he released her, opting to stomp around and moan and shriek like a child on a tantrum. Skye stayed down, afraid any sudden movements would spur him into shooting her.

Because… was she allowing herself to think… that she could get out of this? Allowing hope in for  _herself_  once again?

A moment later she almost regretted that she had.

Kane stilled. Perfectly quiet and unmoving, suddenly. Terrifyingly. His face blank, until slowly,  _slowly_ , his mouth curved into a sadistic smile. Icy blue eyes stared into her own with an expression fit for no less than a demon.

Skye had never been so scared of the man, and he'd had a gun to her head moments earlier.

"No…" the man pondered, drawing out the word as his mouth twitched without trying. "I have a much better idea," he said, and turned on her with crazed eyes. The blood pouring down the arm absent of a weapon made the scene all the more chilling. "I don't have to kill you, not when there's so many ways to torment you, to  _hurt_  you… here."

He pressed an open palm to her heart with a gentle touch. Skye didn't let the fear meet her eyes, she made sure it was only a glare. Just as she'd been with Whitehall when she had been a SHIELD agent. When she had been strong.

She might have faltered. Might have given into these people. But she had been strong once again as she faced death moments earlier, and from then on she would not let them take her down without a fight.

Well, most of the time. People coming up from behind shouldn't get to count.

Because Skye's head was bludgeoned out of the blue, which had hurt pretty bad.

And she was definitely down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Athanasios Hallas, appleblossom2, Matt and AslansCompass! Though I think they might have just been confused... Glad you're sticking with me through all this darkness though ;)
> 
> Lots of Skye inner thoughts... hope it's not too boring. We need to get them out of there dang it, what's this recaptured nonsense!


	36. ...in the Ox-Stall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coulson assembles his team to take care of Kane.

_**Present Day** _

Bobbi's voice rang through Coulson's head over and over, like her hallowed words were playing on a loop in his mind.

" _...has PTSD" "Ward's fault" "executed" "shouldn't listen anymore" "do it for Skye"_

" _daughter."_

He was concerned, to say the least. His anger at Ward (that he'd skillfully covered from Morse the moment she'd told him such information) had been overtaken by worry for Skye as Bobbi recommended not listening in on their debrief anymore.

What happened that had been so awful?

Many things came to Phil's mind. Vivid imaginings of the worst possible predicaments inflicting his progeny, until visions of her screams were bouncing through his skull as easily as Bobbi's voice.

So he threw himself into his work. Felt nearly, for lack of a better word, inhuman as he scoured communications on how to find Kane.

Turned out, it wasn't that hard.

He found that the man had evacuated the museum they'd stormed on a large private jet. It had been cloaked, but careless piloting had the thing manifesting somewhere over West Virginia. Which would have been fine.

If Coulson hadn't sent a few of the gifteds they'd found to a safe house there.

Those people were still under his care. He had to send a team, and therefore, he had to speak with his own.

To all of them.

Morse and Hunter showed up first, followed by the slow trickle of remaining agents: Fitz, Simmons, May, Skye and Lincoln. Belatedly, even Mack showed up. He had been MIA for majority of the day, deciding to keep an eye on the gifteds still at the base in his care (as was his job) in order to make sure they gave Skye and Lincoln space for the day. But they should all have been present.

"What's the red flag, sir?" Mack asked, after a brief 'hello' to Skye and Lincoln. Unfortunately he hadn't been briefed on what they had been through yet, so his common nickname giving habit turned sour the moment he used 'Static' on Lincoln. No one really reacted, but the awkward silence and tension-filled air had been enough to tell the mechanic he'd said something wrong. Though he did get quite the glare from Skye, who…

Whoa, what had happened to her  _hair?_

That was probably best left for later.

"The 'red flag' is Kane," Coulson explained as soon as he filed away the thought of Skye's new appearance.. "He's headed to Charleston."

"Oh no," Simmons breathed.

"The gifteds' safehouse," said Bobbi, calmly and presumptively. "I can take a team, sir. Hold him off."

"No," May growled. " _I'll_  be leading this mission."

The ferocity of the woman sent a blip of fear up Phil. Surely being responsible for Skye and Lincoln's eight - month kidnapping would be enough… but the anger was clear as crystal on her face.

What if there was more to it?

"Fine," Bobbi said shortly. "But I'm coming."

"I think I should tag along as well," Simmons put in. "I dread to think if any of them got hurt…"

"And I can check on their chips' status," said Fitz.

"I'm coming too!" insisted Hunter. "You need more field agents, if you ask me."

Coulson huffed. Not from annoyance, but he was a little overwhelmed. And… ok, a little annoyed that his agents were assigned themselves roles without consulting him. But they were capable. "Fine. You're all cleared to go."

"Us too?"

It was a quiet voice, and not one Coulson had become accustomed to hearing from the girl since they'd gotten her back. Honestly, he was still shocked to hear her voice much at all.

Skye gripped Lincoln's hand tightly as they sat in the back of the room, clinging in close proximity as though praying for some harsh storm to pass overhead.

"No," Coulson said. "You're on leave. Recovery."

She shrugged, a coy and tired smile playing on her lips. "Sounds like you're making those up as you go along…"

"It's just not a good idea. You'd see that…"

"I just need to face him, Coulson," Skye pleaded. "I need to know… why he treated us like dogs. What made him think it was ok."

"And you'll get that when we apprehend him."

"I have earthquake powers!" she shrieked suddenly. "Lincoln is a walking thunderstorm! If you guys miss out on the chance to grab him, it could be because we weren't around to do something."

"You're not ready for field work Skye, that's final," he told her harshly.

Too harshly, much too roughly for what she'd been through. Her eyes lit fire for a moment before they dimmed, and she receded into herself once again.

"What about the debrief?" Lincoln chimed in. "We don't have much left, but it could help…"

"You can tell me-"

The words died in his throat.

_Don't listen to the debrief anymore._

But if not Coulson, whom? Preferably May, or Simmons… they could explain it over comms. It wouldn't be as comfortable, but doable.

Or he could just let them go. It would make Skye happy.

It would make Skye  _happy_ , and in the end, that was what really decided it.

"Alright, you can take the Zephyr 1 with the team." Coulson stepped closer to Skye, who was currently trying to hide the smirk on her face. "But I want you to  _stay_ there. Don't go near Kane in the open, alright?"

She nodded, and strangely, it was a nearly grateful gesture from the add on of Coulson's sentence. "Alright."

"I mean it," Coulson said insistently, allowing himself (and hoping it was helping more than hurting) to place a hand on Skye's cheek. "We can't lose you again. Not so quickly. Not ever. Understand?"

She pursed her lips, trying to fend off tears. "I understand."

"Good." He placed the hand on her cheek to Skye's shoulder, giving it a firm pat. "Then let's get a move on."

At those words everyone stood and scurried out, working to get ready for the mission as quickly as possible.

Except Skye.

"Wow," she said, standing in the middle of the room all alone. Even Lincoln had left with the crowd. Everyone turned. "Not  _one_  mention of my hair? I nearly cut it all off!"

Each person turned to another sheepishly, clearly unknowing of how to react to Skye. Not willing to admit they hadn't wanted to set her off.

"It looks good, but I wouldn't say you cut it  _all_  off," said Simmons in attempt to fill the silence. "It's still passed your shoulders a tad."

"Yeah, and we thought maybe you just wanted a bit of change," said Fitz. "Like the fringe."

"Aha! I  _knew_  those were just some emo hair phase!" Hunter exclaimed. Coulson raised an eyebrow. "I mean, it's not like I knew Skye before she had the fringe but after that Hydra debacle… all you SHIELD people were very depressed looking. It made sense..."

Skye shrugged largely, calling attention to herself. "It's cool," she said in a small voice. "They  _were_  pretty much emo bangs Hunter, but I've gotten used to them now. Anyway I like my new hair," she said, looking up fondly as though she could admire it. "I just thought it was funny you guys didn't notice." She shook her head. "Sorry, ridiculous. Hair talk at a time like this. How about we get this asshole off the streets?"

Skye strutted out of the room as though she'd just stolen Coulson's job of 'in charge', appearing on top of the world. Coulson wasn't sure how much good haircuts could do, but her mood switches seemed rapid. Like mood  _swings_.

Maybe Simmons would have some answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Matt, Appleblossom2 and Aslanscompass! I'm currently on vacation so updates may be a bit slow.


	37. The Ant... (II)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lincoln finds himself in a strange predicament.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning in end notes!

_**A Few Days Ago:** _

Something was wrong.

One, Lincoln didn't feel any sort of ache. Which was good. Or, one would think it was good. But he should be achy. His ankle should be hurting. His feet as well, from stomping over tree branches and twigs. But he didn't feel any of that.

Then there was his bed. Cardboard like the fights? No. Shield cot? No. It wasn't even like regular old bed in his cell.

It was  _luxurious._

Lincoln's eyes weren't yet open, but he could tell he was laid back on something plush. Something that had him sinking into it, with fluffy comforters and warm blankets.

The room had a warm golden tint to it, as though morning streamed through a window that didn't happen to exist. But things seemed to be glowing in there. Like… the color of pure happiness?  _If_  he had to put a name to it. It was a large room, sort of like the one he and Skye had been forced into so they could… procreate, but the bed was nicer. There was more furniture. Decorated couches and a boudoir. Even the scent was more inviting: cinnamon.

"Hey there, sleepyhead."

Lincoln turned his head to see a positively beaming Skye, her hands clutching a tray. She was wearing her pajamas. Not the lingerie. Not even the ones the museum provided her with on a daily basis, which were actually as comfy looking as sleepwear came, but ones that he'd seen her wearing at SHIELD. A large hoodie, grey sweatpants. Simple, but hers. Her hair was even up in a messy bun as it often used to be.

"Skye," he said. "What-"

"Shh," she murmured, placing her index finger lightly on his lips. "You've been hurt. You need lots of rest."

"I feel great, actually," he said, sitting up. "You look good."

Skye giggled.  _Giggled,_  high pitched and girly. He'd never really heard such a thing from her. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. But you usually do, you know. You  _are_  pretty."

He didn't really want to say that, he realized. It had just sort of slipped out.

Skye blushed. "Please. I probably look so gross right now…"

"No," Lincoln insisted. "You look comfortable. It's… nice. To see you at ease, sort of."

She set the tray down next to him and sat herself on the side of the bed along with it. Her back nearly pressed against him. "I feel at ease, and comfortable. And it is nice," she said, tilting her head at him. "But you need to eat."

Her hand drifted to the tray full of fresh fruits and… pastries? God, he hadn't seen a pastry, or any desserts for that matter, in months. And… was that a chocolate croissant? That was his favorite! How did Skye even know? In fact, why hadn't he gotten one lately? He always made sure to go to a French bakery and pick one up every few weeks.

Oh.

_Oh._

How could he forget? They were  _kidnapped._

Skye plucked a strawberry off the tray and brought it to his lips but he shut his mouth tight. Her lip jutted out and she pouted.

"Lincoln!" she whined.

"Skye, what is this?" he asked. "Why are you acting this way?"

She looked lost. "Because I want you to get better!" she insisted confusedly. Then her mouth curved upwards in a half smile. She placed her hands on either side of him, leaning forward generously. "Because I want to  _help_  you get better."

"What are you doing?" he asked softly, Skye smirking enticingly only inches before him. "This isn't you."

Her brow furrowed. "This is me," she insisted. "This is  _all_  of me."

Skye started undoing the drawstrings on her pants.

Lincoln rushed forward. "No, stop!"

"Why?" she asked, and dropped her pants anyway. Her shirt was gone moments later. "The water is so nice! Don't you want to come in?"

Huh.

Lincoln wasn't entirely sure how he missed that hot tub that took over a substantial amount of the bedroom.

"C'mon!" Skye said with a wave from the water, her bikini's sequins glinting off the pool's lights.

Lincoln stepped in the water slowly, expecting something. Scalding hot, a shock. He just thought there had to be something wrong because they were in that  _place._

But there wasn't.

"This is nice," he commented.

"Isn't it?"

"When did they give you this?" he asked.

"Mmm… not too long ago. They were happy with me."

"Skye?"

"Yes?"

"What did you do that made them happy?"

"Oh you know," she said, waving her hand casually as though he truly did. "Wine?"

Skye held out a glass of dark red liquid. He took it.

"Thank you. I don't know, actually."

"I was good," she said, grinning warmly as though pleased with herself. "You should be good too. It's nice to be good when it makes others happy."

"I just want you to be happy," Lincoln said, though he wasn't sure it was entirely true. He wanted Skye to be happy, but he could want other things as well. It just seemed like the right thing to say.

"That's nice of you," she said. "But we should make everyone happy."

"Not these people," Lincoln told her spitefully. "They… they hurt us."

"But they  _could_  help us." She placed a hand gently on his face, wiping his cheek tenderly. "We just have to give them what they want."

"No. We don't owe them anything."

"Don't you want me?" she asked, and the hurt in her eyes was heartbreaking.

"I…"

"You said I'm pretty."

"It's not that simple."

"It is."

"It's  _not."_

She kissed him, hard and fast and before he could think to breath, she was gone.

"It is," she near whispered. "Don't you want to see our baby?"

He almost choked. "Wha- no!"

"But we'd make such a pretty baby."

"Skye!"

Skye was on the bed, then. Head laid back and posing for him in that lingerie from the other night. The outfit looked brand new.

"It's simple," she repeated, her hand gesturing open in an invitation. Her one leg out straight as the other crooked in at her chest as she lay back in the pillows. There was a space just next to her as if made for him. Actually, there was little doubt in his mind that it  _hadn't_  been.

Lincoln shook his head. "This isn't right and you know it. You  _hate_ that they're making us do this!"

Skye frowned in puzzlement. "But you don't." She appeared in front of him, too close for his liking. "You would have considered it because you feel something for me."

"No…"

"Don't think about them. There is no 'them'. This is between us; just you and me."

His mind shifted in an abnormal way. Lust and stronger feelings suddenly clouded his judgment. Was she wearing perfume? God, it was intoxicating.

"Let us," she said, lightly pecking his lips. "Do this."

Lincoln shifted his feet. "You really want to?"

She nodded eagerly, happiness flooding her with the likeness a child. It only made this situation more disturbing.

"Oh, yes," she said, eyes dilating with want as she clambered onto the bed. "How do you want me?"

 _No!_  The voice in his head shouted.  _Skye may have offered it before, but it had been under coercion. She'd never wanted this for real._

"I… I don't want you."

"You… don't  _want_ me?"

"I don't."

Skye pouted again, though her face held heaps more devastation than it had earlier.

"But," she gasped. "They'll hurt me!"

A guard materialized out of nowhere and cracked her sideways into the ground. She didn't retaliate. At all. At the kicks or swings or shocks or… god, there were too many weapons to count!

"Skye!" he shouted. When he tried to run to her, chilling metal bit into his wrists. He was chained.

She was sobbing. Skye was  _sobbing_. He roared at the man attacking her, but soon the guy wasn't even there. Still his friend continued to writhe on the ground, bloodied and bruised.

Skye shivered, a pained smile finding her face.

"Please," she whispered through forced cheer and a bloody lip as she lay on her side. "Do you want me now?"

"If not," Kane said as he emerged from the shadows. "I could always take your place."

Lincoln howled in an extract of rage as the man got closer. His teeth glinted sinister in the low light as he reached out a hand to pet Skye's hair tenderly, causing her to shudder anew before moving on to the straps of her outfit….

"SIMULATION ENDING. Subject: Static off course."

"Wha…" Lincoln muttered.

He was on a bed, but not the one Skye had just been sitting on. A small cot in a medical room. Wires extruded from his skin and-

He couldn't move.

"Static may feel disorientation. This is normal for the Desire Simulation."

"Desire Simulation?" Lincoln asked in a mumble, the strange and worrisome term overtaking his curiosity directed at his immobile state.

"CAMI is using Static's dream state to discover what may initiate his breeding instinct."

Lincoln closed his eyes hard. It had been a dream. Just a dream.

It sure as hell hadn't felt like a dream.

"What-"

"We have used aromatherapy as well as intravenous drugs to induce lust related dreams. Did Static find any of the prospects in the last simulation- satisfying?"

"Hell no!"

"CAMI did not believe so. She did not acquire sufficient data to tell her this. But CAMI must ask the subject in case system readings were off."

"Everything that has to do with Skye and I having sex in this place is anything but satisfying. It's disgusting."

CAMI beeped, and Lincoln wished fervently he weren't frozen like a statue. He very much so wanted to hit the thing. "CAMI will try again. In a different setting."

"No," Lincoln said, a little too late. Not that the robot would care anyway. But his eyes were already drooping…

"Hey, Lincoln," Skye said, the slit in her red dress showing off her dark, fair skin as she stepped towards him. "Let's sit down. We have dinner coming! And this place is  _so_  nice."

Lincoln was confused. He wasn't entirely certain how he got there, or why he was upset…

But there surely couldn't be anything off about eating with Skye at the Eiffel Tower, right?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Nonconsensual medical procedures to stimulate labido happen while Lincoln is unconscious. Basically, feeding him drugs so that he'll have lustful dreams.
> 
> Because this story wasn't weird enough. Actually, in a recent SHIELD comic book Coulson, Bobbi and May find out there's these teens being experimented on and given powers mainly to be sold into fetish brothels! (as Coulson put it). Or be slaves. Or soldiers. Either way, I'm not the only strange one out there ;)
> 
> As always, thank you to the loveliest of lovely appleblossom2 (Vacation was great! Heading home in a few hours) and Matt!


	38. ...and the Chrysalis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicknames are discussed; Lincoln and Skye get into a spat.

_**Present Day** _

Things were suddenly very clear to Hunter then. He'd been the one to find and gather Lincoln from that place, and at the time, his Inhuman friend had seemed hesitant and wary. He had also been running off his mouth with nonsense that Lance had written off easily, thinking the guy had just been disoriented.

But he'd been drugged and messed with and… well, for lack of a better word, violated. Their entire stay there had been a violation, in fact.

Hunter was actually surprised he'd been invited to hear the story. It wasn't said so much in words, but the way they split up to finish their debrief on Zephyr 1 had completely been the Inhumans' choice. Skye had quietly tugged aside May and Simmons, but Lincoln clearly motioned for Hunter to listen in as well.

Bobbi'd understood well enough. She went to pilot, while Fitz took Raina and Naja off to show them around. (Honestly, Hunter wasn't entirely sure why they'd been brought along… this was starting to seem more like a party bus than a mission jet.)

But that wasn't really his business.

"Oh Lincoln," Skye cooed. "I'm… I'm sorry."

He frowned. "You're  _sorry?_  There's nothing to be sorry for." He snorted. "They were just dreams, they didn't actually do anything to me. While you…"

Skye moved some hair behind her ear nervously and shied away, appearing so incredibly self-conscious that Lincoln's words derailed on their tracks as he stopped talking. Hunter almost longed for the angry Skye from mere hours ago. She was acting far too delicate now.

"It's ok to pity yourself a bit," Lance put in. "Just because some guy off in Africa got his face mauled off by a lion doesn't mean that a nail in your own foot hurt any less."

Lincoln merely squinted his eyes at Hunter, showing him he clearly didn't agree with Hunter's sentiment, and most likely the guy didn't like his words being rendered meaningless either.

"Nice analogy,  _Harry Potter,_ " Skye spat.

Ah, there was angry Skye.

And  _that_  was something he could actually deal with.

"Harry Potter?" Hunter repeated in disbelief. " _How_  was that a good insult? I didn't say anything magical or British related."

Skye's eyes glanced back and forth, as though someone was going to pop in and give her an out by providing an answer. They didn't. "Well… I haven't really been practicing my insults lately, alright?"

He shrugged. "Whatever you say, Taylor Swift."

Skye lifted a brow.

"Taylor Swift?" Simmons muttered in confusion.

"Oh c'mon guys, don't make me explain it to you," Hunter whined. "You know, Skye shakes…" Hunter mumbled, and got a few blank stares. He began to hum, "Dun, dun dun. I shake it off, shake it off," he muttered in tune with a little head dance.

May rolled her eyes and Simmons let go of an attempted to be concealed chuckle.

Skye just shook her head, arms crossed. She seemed amused enough. "Nice one, I guess."

"Thank you."

"Bobbi just radioed in from the cockpit," May piped up. "We've got a little over an hour. That enough time?"

Skye and Lincoln turned to each other, then back to their small crowd. "Sure," they said around the same time.

Skye's hand began to creep up to Lincoln's. Strangely, unlike all the other times Lincoln had allowed Skye to basically melt onto him, he flinched and backed up.

She looked hurt.

"What's wrong?"

"I…" Lincoln glanced around helplessly at his audience. "I can't…" He sighed. "It's just hard to believe any of this."

"Hey," Skye said, getting closer to him as the rest of them sat dumbfounded. "This is  _real._ "

"Fake-you would say that," Lincoln insisted simply. "Fake-you would also probably tell me you were pregnant. Which you  _did._ "

Hunter nearly gasped. He tried to gauge a reaction from Simmons by meeting her eyes, but they were pinned her feet as she bit her lip.

Had that been confirmed? Had… Christ, what the hell had happened?

Why the heck was she on this  _plane_  right now?

Skye began to tear up. "I'm real," she sniffled, clearly hurt that he was taking in her grim reality with less impact than it had rightfully earned. "I'm not making it up."

"Actually, Skye-" Simmons started.

Lincoln growled in frustration. "The dream you would say that too!"

"Well I'm sorry dream me was so damn convincing, but this is real me!" she bit out. "Lucky you just gets the luxury of denying reality for a while."

"Lucky?" he spat. "My options are that I'm still in that facility where they're messing with my brain until I hallucinate,  _or_  you're going to have a baby that could be mine."

"Whether this kid is somehow yours or not, I don't get the luxury of hoping that it isn't mine! I have to have this monster freak of nature!" Skye growled.

"Whoa whoa whoa," Hunter stepped in. Maybe he shouldn't have because he wasn't too clear on what was going on but… he felt he needed to. "Your kids would never be monsters-"

"Stay out of this!" they snapped together.

Hunter held up his hands and back off.

"You know what I think, Lincoln?"

"What do you think,  _Skye_?" he spat back at her in a mocking tone.

"I think you feel guilty," she accused, looking near triumphant. "Because if we would have just  _done_ it and not tried to escape- which went  _horribly,_ thanks _-_  then we'd have at least been together… instead of forced apart and freaking experimented on! Your so-called  _nobility,_ " Skye sneered, putting air quotes around the word, "caused this hellish, disgusting mess!"

Before Lincoln could rebuttal or even react much at all, May's rigid face made its way right into Skye's.

"That's  _enough,_ Skye," she ordered.

The girl scoffed, shoulders slumping as she backed down and turned. "Whatever."

Lincoln flexed his hands in and out of fists, his face scrunching into an expression of discontent. "I need a minute," he said, breathing hard as he backed off and out of the room.

"A minute? Take a century!" Skye bit back. She plopped herself down on a seat petulantly, arms crossed in anger.

The room stilled, allowing Skye a moment of quiet seething.

Simmons cleared her throat. "Well… um,  _Skye,_  I know you may not want to discuss it but I really need to tell you-"

"No," Skye interrupted firmly. She glared at Simmons dangerously through her rage. "My turn."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a big fan of this chapter. Anyway, thank you very much to emilia_kaisa, appleblossom2, and PurplePeopleEater. AWESOME comments! :D


	39. The Dogs...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye wakes up in an unfortunate situation. (Again).

_**A Little While Ago:** _

Skye was tied down. That much she was certain of. Oh, and her head hurt. But that was about where her surety ended.

She tugged at the restraints on her wrists as sight gradually returned. Waking up in unknown places after forcedly succumbing to unconsciousness was starting to become a familiar environment to the agent, something she really had hoped never to experience. That particular hope could be assumed to be shared by most people. Most just didn't have to  _actually_ worry about it.

On her back, Skye stared at the ceiling of the med room. As opposed to her last experience under these circumstances she was wearing a fair bit of clothing. Pants and a short sleeved shirt, at least. Scratchy, cheap material that reminded her of med scrubs or a prisoner's uniform, but it was something.

Despite the knowledge that this of course meant someone had to have dressed her (considering she had been in ripped lingerie last time she'd been cognizant) she found her incredibly grateful that they had.

Because here's when it got  _really_  creepy.

Skye's legs had been pushed up, crooked, and strapped into stirrups that she was only familiar with from a certain doctor's appointment.

Skye allowed her vision to focus, her head to clear as she steeled her nerve before deciding to speak. She knew she had to lock herself into agent mode fast, or there was no way she wasn't going to lose it.

There was a casual humming going on as she felt some nudging on her legs. She knew who it was, and not just because of the coarse bandages she felt on one hand.

"So… how are your fingers feeling?" Skye's tone was smug as she did well hiding her shock and fear. Even despite her current predicament she felt just a little self-satisfied on managing to hurt Kane. And preferably, she'd like to dwell on that.

"Sore, thank you for asking," Kane answered evenly. His voice did nothing to betray the rage he was hiding, but Skye could sense it. She was concealing the same thing.

She snorted. "Let me guess… you're putting another chip in my head." Her voice did not attempt to hide the edge of irritation. Only the tiredness she felt.

Kane chuckled. "It's funny you bring that up, seeing as I reactivated it. Mostly for the tracking capabilities since, as you're quite aware, CAMI has her own ways of  _incentives._  Tivan said it wasn't needed, but I can call a few of the shots."

"Someone who hates people who are different working for an alien," Skye said, honestly taking an educated guess on the man's status. "Makes sense."

"You destroyed my establishment," he said simply. "And Tivan promised me subjects once I rebuild if I manage his earth-based museum. Apparently, I'm the most qualified man on earth for the job. Quite a compliment."

Kane was over at a table, preparing a tube of some sort with a liquid Skye didn't recognize. But Skye wasn't scared.

She wasn't.

Calloused fingers incongruously brushed hair away from her face. "And it means I get to do whatever I want with you, which of course is a plus."

"You can't kill me," she stated under his touch, which she'd defiantly chosen not to flinch away from. "Which is what you really want to do. You're on a leash just as much as me."

He stopped petting Skye's face, opting to appraise her curiously. "So you finally admit you're owned," he told her, and Skye felt her face flush without her permission. "I'll tell you the difference. I can choose to leave, but I like this deal. On the other hand you are a  _slave_. A dog on a chain, and deep down, you know it."

Skye shook her head slowly, rage and spite threatening to overwhelm and consume her.

" _Why_  do you hate us?" Skye asked. Kane had all his attention on her now, but Skye had already spied out the woman organizing instruments and preparing her wires and tubes behind him.

It was Tessa.

Skye wondered how long she had been under Tivan's control. Now Kane's. How mistreated she must have been to become this willing slave. Could that be Skye's fate as well?

"Oh, sweet girl," Kane said, stroking Skye's face once again. "I don't hate all of you. I hate  _you_  now, for destroying me. But your ilk… you're just tools. It's nothing personal."

_Nothing personal._

With how that phrase seemed to be used around her, Skye was starting to doubt her definition of such.

"You know Quake, I'd like to tell you a story."

Her scowl turned to shock at the abrupt change in pace.

"What?" she spat in disbelief.

"A story my father once told me back when we still lived in Germany," he said, looking up and away from her, as though fondly reminiscing. "Now, have you heard the tales of Aesop's Fables?"

Skye could only blink dumbly.

What. The hell.

Skye sat like a gaping fish.

Not because she hadn't heard of them. She had been rather familiar with the stories as a child, the nuns had made sure of it with all the morals the tales intertwined with. She was stunned because it was just so damn random.

"Right, I suppose not. Perhaps Inhumans are not quite so cultured as to teach you properly."

"I've heard of them," she muttered immediately, not correcting him that she'd actually grown up in an orphanage. Somehow, that seemed a shameful admission. "They teach morals."

"That's correct!" he said, an excited gleam in his eyes as though proud of a toddler. "Now, the one I'd like to tell you about was the Dog and the Wolf. You a fan of that one?"

"Can't say I recall it, but I'm guessing you're going to tell me either way..."

"There once was a dog lounging outside his master's house," Kane started brightly, "when a wolf came over looking for food. The dog explained that he never had to look for his food, as it was always handed to him by his owner. The wolf of course liked the thought and instantly wished he had a master as well. So, the dog offered to share his own.

"Then the wolf noticed how the dog was tethered to a chain. He proclaimed that all the rabbits in the world would not be worth his freedom. Then he left."

Kane stared at her, beaming. It was not the most comfortable sight.

"Ok…" Skye started unsurely. "Sounds like you didn't exactly take that moral to heart, considering it's talking about how important freedom is."

"I thought that as well, at first. The freedom thing. But my father set me straight."

"Ah. So crazy runs in the family I see."

Kane ignored her. "He told me to think about it. To truly think of what would happen passed that tale. We don't know what becomes of the wolf. In fact, he most likely died of starvation while the dog lived a long and prosperous life." He turned to Skye. "Dogs are in fact descendents of wolves".

"I was aware of that, thanks..."

"So my father told me in order to be a responsible master, breaking the wolf until they become as loyal as a dog is just as good for them as it is for one's self."

He grinned like the devil he was, leaning in close to Skye's ear. "My dear, if you hadn't guessed, you're the wolf in this story. And lucky for you, I'm not going to let you get away so you can ruin yourself."

"Ruin myself…" she scoffed. "That's your definition of not being a prisoner?"

"But of course! Here I can preserve you. Give you… purpose."

Skye inhaled sharp and soft through her nose, trying to settle herself back into the examination chair. Trying to calm her nerves and remove the man whose voice went from cheerful to chilling in moments. Spiders were crawling up and down her skin from her nerves.

"What are you doing to me?" Skye finally dared to ask, her voice wavering for the first time. She dreaded the answer, mainly because she had a fairly strong hunch of what it was.

"Exactly what Tivan asked of me," Kane said. "I'm giving you a child, Quake, since you've chosen not to breed naturally. We were forced to switch to… other tactics."

Skye's heart dropped fast as lead in water as she fought to keep the tears from falling. "Where's Lincoln?"

"CAMI is overseeing something similar for him, if not through somewhat different means."

"But  _where_ is he?"

"That's not your concern."

"Stop! You have me, ok?" Skye growled, thrashing her arms in the restraints as frustration took control. "I admit it; you can do whatever the hell you want to me or with me and there's absolutely nothing I can do! Why won't you just answer my damn questions? Don't you have any semblance of freaking  _humanity_?"

He grinned. "One would think humanity is for humans."

"C'mon," she said, shaking her head. "Don't do this. We… we are humans. We're not animals, we just have abilities. I…" Skye sniffled. "I can't raise a child here. In  _cages_. I can't be a mother to anyone here!"

Skye didn't want to be a 'mother' at all. That term… it made this a reality. She would be tethered to another life  _forever._

God, she couldn't fathom this. This conversation, that this could be happening to her. It was… it was insane.

"Oh, you think  _you'd_  be raising it?" Kane asked. "I don't think so… whatever monstrosity pops out of you will be treated as any new subject is. Given its own enclosure…"

"We're not monsters!"

"Maybe not," he conceded. "But depending on what I decide to put in you, whatever you carry could be."

Skye's mouth popped open involuntarily from the disgust and disbelief that coursed through her. "You… you can't! I'm not… I can't… please!"

He sighed. Not in disappointment, but happily. As though listening to extremely pleasing music. "See? This is why I wanted you awake. It's the perfect opportunity for a lesson. So much better than killing you!"

Skye couldn't help the tears. Hell, she couldn't help the sobs. How often would she be forced to do this? How many children would she have? Would she ever see them?

What would they even  _be_?

"I'll have sex with Lincoln!" she yelped desperately, feeling disgusted at herself for exclaiming the private matter so blatantly. When Lincoln had said he wouldn't  _rape_  her… the wording had shocked Skye. She would never do anything to hurt him either, she'd never force him, but right now she was just so  _scared._

Skye tried with token effort to close her legs. He'd have to take off her clothes to see anything, but she was already strapped in. Maybe he planned to cut them off, to put her out. Unconscious, her body would be forfeit if he tried to…  _operate_ on her… oh god. Oh  _god_.

Skye couldn't take it. She just wanted to be back at SHIELD. She yearned for it, her heart aching hard in grievous longing as though she were sick despite herself.

She wanted Coulson to say it's going to be ok and May to tell her to be strong. For Simmons to fix her up, to smother Fitz in hugs. For Bobbi to tell her how proud she was as she listened to Hunter's witty remarks that turned the situation into something laughable. She wanted Lincoln to be there, the new rookie that had Skye herself stepping up. Her bridge between the world of powers and SHIELD.

She wanted to be  _home_.

"What are you doing to me? What is it going to  _be_? Just tell me!"

Kane hummed a laugh. "Well, I think we'll leave it a surprise. Surprises are fun, aren't they Quake?"

Skye was trembling in her binds. "P-please, I'll…  _breed_. I'll-"

"This is already starting, girl." He filled something up once again. "Maybe next time, you'll do as we say the first time around."

 _Next time._  Nine months from now. Jesus, she was going to be here forever. In this hellhole  _forever_. She would never see her family again.

 _Think,_  she told herself, trying to calm down.  _What can you do?_

Skye looked around desperately. She was on her back, held down.  _Helpless._  She had cuffs on. No powers.  _Helpless._  She couldn't even see passed her legs at what they were going to do. They had a chip in her brain.  _Helpless, helpless, helpless!_

That's when it snapped. Something snapped in Skye's mind, and she allowed herself to flit away. She let humanity slip away, able to finally succumb to the animalistic tendencies they'd been pushing her towards the whole time. Because the thing that broke, that snapped, was logic. It was fear.

It was Skye.

She was only angry then, and she would hold onto that last semblance of humanity.

"No!" she snarled, shaking the table with her writhing. "I won't let you!"

"Do you need a sedative?" Kane said, sighing as though disappointed.

"Try to get anywhere near me and I'll tear your fingers completely off, followed by your damn head you freaking complete and deluded, sick, psychopath!"

He flat out guffawed at her. "This is actually quite amusing, but I will need you to st-"

_BEEP BEEP BEEP_

"Red alert. Red alert. Immediate assistance required. Red alert. Red alert."

CAMI's voice was on repeat, though Skye listened with minimal curiosity. She was too concerned with herself. Even if she hated to admit it.

Kane rolled his eyes and went to look at a screen. "Oh, damn it." He huffed in disappointment, flicking off medical gloves Skye hadn't even registered he'd put on. She watched cautiously, not daring to hope that this was being prolonged. "I must deal with this," he told Tessa, who he'd not so much as acknowledged thus far.

He began to walk away and Skye gasped loud with relief. Louder than she'd meant to.

It stopped him in his tracks.

Kane turned around, CAMI continuing her warning as red lights bleared, though it suddenly appeared as though he couldn't care less. He took an oxygen mask from the side and placed it over Skye's face, her head whipping back and forth instantly to try and unsuccessfully dispel him.

"Finish the procedure, Tessa." He leaned in close to Skye, then. "Isn't this fun? Almost like the first time we met."

Skye had the urge to spit at him, he was so close, but the mask kept her from doing so. She could only rattle her body in defiance, and that only served to entertain the man.

"You know, I was going to save this bit of information for later, but I thought I'd let you in on the secret… your little phone call? It did  _not_ go through."

Skye could have been sick ten times over. Was he telling the truth?

"My employees need to put in a code to make calls of such distance so… I hope you weren't expecting rescue or anything of the sort."

Skye began near hyperventilating in the mask. It didn't matter to him that something was off, that there was an ear-shattering alarm telling him to leave when he had the chance to watch her suffer.

And this was where she was going to be for the rest of her life, with decisions about herself, her body, made by the mad person in front of her.

Skye slumped into herself on the table, a picture of defeat surely as her mind continued to blaze with wildfire. Kane eventually picked himself up. A sneer marked his face while tears tracked Skye's.

He flicked a switch as he walked away, leaving to deal with whatever was happening without newfound apparent haste, muttering something she couldn't quite catch.

A hiss began resonating from the machine. Soon enough, Skye smelled the sickeningly sweet air began to fill up her nose.

_No. No. Don't breath!_

She couldn't help it. And if she had to fill her lungs with the tainted air anyway, she might as well put her last breaths to good use.

So she screamed. In horror, in anger and fear and sadness. This baseline of emotions was cast out as shouts muffled by the mask while she thrashed until she couldn't.

It was a small mercy that  _he_  wouldn't be the one doing it, but she was being put under. She'd never know. Kane could come back and she'd never even  _know._

Skye wanted to die. She'd rather be dead than subjected to this. To bring kids into this situation, her mind wasn't even fully capable of wrapping around how disturbing a thought this was!

She had been so strong in San Juan, not taking to Whitehall's jeers or mockery. But she couldn't be that girl here. Not after so long. Not in this outlandish situation.

She tried to pretend this was then. That she was tough once again. That she was  _that_ Skye. Brave, strong and true. Before she'd learned to hide behind powers that would be stolen from her anyway.

And it was only then, when she was about a half a second from leaving the world for them to do to her as they pleased, that she realized what Kane had said as he left her to Tessa.

" _Discovery requires experimentation."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's just turn up creeptastic to the max here, eh folks? One more chapter in the past! Then it's all present... and it should get crazy! I may do a short hiatus before the main next chunk to get it all ready and work on a new AoS video. (If curious, my latest one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXoeBbC9sfg
> 
> Anyhow, thanks to emilia_kaisa, Appleblossom2, and PurplePeopleEater!


	40. ...and the Fox (II)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team are having a riff when trouble comes their way.

**_ Present Day _ **

"So you see  _Hunter,_ " Skye sneered, but her face skewed in what Simmons could only describe as heartbreak, "I'm not saying that Inhumans are monsters, but this… it's very possible that this  _thing_ will be!" She hugged herself nervously, glancing down for only a moment before circling the room with her pleading eyes. "I'm not an animal… a  _breeding mule_. But I… I wish I  _would_ have just slept with him." She turned to Lincoln. "With you. Then at least I'd be having your kid and not… not  _this_ ," she growled in anguished frustration.

When the girl sobbed into her hands and Simmons couldn't hold out a moment longer.

"Oh, Skye!" Jemma yelped, rushing forward. "You may not even be pregnant!"

Hunter went from horrified at Skye's outburst to shocked, while May's eyebrows discreetly rose up.

She sniffled. "What?"

"I mean… well yes, I mean that you may not be pregnant," she repeated with a sigh. "I'm not positive, but the chemicals I'd thought had been your body preparing for such now seems more like a supplement that had been given to you. Now it makes even more sense, they were trying to get you ready for the s-surgery. I didn't say anything because I wanted to hear your story and run some more tests to confirm before getting your hopes up."

Well that,  _and_ so Skye wouldn't do anything stupid.

When Coulson had allowed her to come on this mission, Jemma hadn't missed the girl's lack of rebuttal when the director told her she needed to stay on Zephyr 1. At first Simmons thought Skye had backed down because she wouldn't want to risk hurting the life inside her… but the way she was talking now, it was just as likely that she'd run in front of a bullet than have to deal with what it could possibly have been.

Skye's red eyes stared tiredly ahead. "But why didn't they do it? Why  _wouldn't_  they?" she nearly stuttered in disbelief. The agent covered her face in her hands and whined out in a high pitched tone, "I don't know what believe anymore!"

Simmons was caught between rushing over to console her and letting her just get it out on her own when a new voice distracted her from considering either.

"You all thought Skye might be  _pregnant?"_

"Bobbi!" Hunter exclaimed, seeming to have a knack for expressing her presence. "Wait, if you're here… who's flying the plane?"

The blonde sighed in rather overdramatic exasperation. "I'm still flying the plane, it's on auto. I came down to see how you guys were doing and heard that. What the hell is she walking into battle for?"

"She was going to stay on the plane," muttered Simmons quietly, but her timid voice caused Bobbi to round on her.

"You're a doctor, Jemma! What the hell? Don't you have a sense of responsibility?"

May stepped up. "Coulson gave the all clear."

"I'm sure Coulson doesn't know what's going on. I personally asked him not to dig into her situation because I was looking out for Skye." She scoffed. "Clearly no one else is… You're letting someone who is in no state to make decisions decide for three people!"

"Three people?" Skye mumbled in confusion, having been strangely silent (but still scowley) since Bobbi had appeared.

"Yeah Skye, three," Bobbi put gently. "If you haven't noticed, Lincoln will basically follow you anywhere and, however unfortunate it may be, now you may have a tenant inside you too."

Skye flinched back in shock (maybe disgust and anger too; it was hard to tell). She definitely wasn't pleased with Bobbi's crass wording.

"Bobbi, stop it," Hunter ordered. "This is private."

"Then why do you of all people get to listen in, huh?"

"Because… they asked me to."

" _He_  asked you to," Bobbi sneered, gesturing to Lincoln. "You think Skye wants you to hear about how-"

"Stand down, Morse," May said, stepping up and interrupting Bobbi before she could go into specifics. "Hunter's right; it's private."

"But if you're so curious," Skye said as she gingerly moved forward. "I'll be honest: I don't want this thing," Skye stated. "I'm not big on… termination, but that's my business, my  _decision_ , ok? You shouldn't get to tell me who I'm responsible for."

Bobbi took a deep breath, and for a horrible moment Simmons thought she was going to continue with the tangent. Instead she hung her head slightly.

"I'm sorry," she admitted, not meeting anyone's eyes. "Skye asked not to be coddled, and… I know what it's like to be tiptoed around. I was trying not to do the same but I'm just being mean."

 _Bit of an understatement…_  thought Simmons.

"We get what you're saying," Lincoln piped up. "What happened is stirring up feelings from you and Ward."

She took another sharp intake of breath, visibly measuring every word and expression she was making now as she exhaled slowly. "You're right. Being forced to work with him and finding out he was the reason you guys were there wasn't exactly helpful to the situation. I just want him to pay," Bobbi said pointedly, straightening herself up as she eyed Simmons.

_Oh no, now's not the time…!_

"Simmons and I have been talking about putting in the order to have Ward executed."

Jemma closed her eyes in a near wince, sighing. "This isn't the best time to bring that up Bobbi!"

"Oh, Bob," Hunter sighed. He shook his head… like he was pitying her? Perhaps her focus on Ward was really showing Hunter how her appearance lately of being passed the Ward ordeal had just been a front. Skye and Lincoln hadn't brought him up in hours and she was still on about the man.

Not that she didn't deserve to dwell.

Lincoln and Skye shared a look before Skye cocked a brow. "Put in an  _order_  to be executed? Is it as easy as asking for a loan at the bank or something?"

"No, but he deserves it. Simmons and I think it would go through."

"This  _really_ isn't a good time," Jemma repeated desperately when-

_BANG!_

Nearly everyone fell to the ground as the plane tilted, shifted and rumbled, causing each of them to scramble.

Hunter pulled himself up. "What the bloody hell-"

"We've been hit," May stated, scurrying up to view the wall panel.

"Yeah… figured that bit out."

"While Kane's figured out we're on our way," Bobbi said, reading her tablet before she glanced back up. "I need a co-pilot. May?"

"Let's go," she stated immediately.

As Jemma watched them leave in a rush, a startled thought struck her and she could have hit herself. She activated her comms.

"Fitz, are you-"

"We're ok Jemma!" his voice rang through immediately, thank god. "It shorted out the electricity in a rather unconventional way. I'm going to have a look at the breakers."

"Good. Be careful!" she called. Turning about, she noticed Hunter helping Lincoln onto the couch. His ankle was holding up well, but any extra irritation would hit him hard. Skye was looking out the window. Her face blank.

"Alright well…" Hunter put out jollily. "If there's anything else to this story you should probably say it now. I get this feeling we're running low on time…"

The plane jeered again.

After recomposing from another jolt, Skye and Lincoln shared another look of silent communication before Lincoln glanced back to Hunter and Jemma.

"Actually… there's not much left."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to bozaq and the awesomeness of appleblossom2!!


	41. The Dancing...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team finds goes in for the rescue of Lincoln and Skye.

_**About a Day Ago** _

"I've never been to Hawaii."

"And you think  _I_  have?"

Skye cocked a curious brow at him, stepping back to look into his eyes though her arm still wrapped around his torso. Lincoln liked it when their bare skin touched more than he would care to admit out loud, and the heat of the dwindling sun over the water furthered his enjoyment.

But… something was off. Something was telling him he shouldn't have been enjoying this.

He smelled the thick air of lavender. Almost odd, for the tropics. For some reason it made him want to hug Skye closer.

He grinned. "Never said that."

"I suppose that's true. Just wondering if you forgot about me being an orphan and everything. Not much cash lying around."

"C'mon, you know I didn't have much growing up either," he reminded her, when a thought tugged at his brain. "You know, I actually do remember you saying you went to Oahu once. To… deliver a watch?"

Skye nodded. "You would be right, I have."

"But you just said-"

"Forget what I said. Look at the waves. There's so many dolphins!"

Lincoln did, watching the animals jump and dive as though performing a show just for the couple. It was beautiful. Or… it should have been, he thought. In reality it seemed near stale.

Skye nudged him. "Care to make our way back to the hut? I'd like to get out of this wet swimsuit…"

"We didn't even go in the water."

"Well, then maybe we should. But I still wouldn't mind getting out of the suit first."

Lincoln grinned at the sentiment, but something seemed off. Something always seemed off. He didn't feel right.

Were they in Hawaii for a mission?

"Ah!" Lincoln shouted, his eyes wincing shut as he clutched his head. It hurt like hell.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Skye asked. He opened his eyes.

She was dark red.

In fact, everything was red, like a giant filter had just been placed over the sun. He might have been worried that it was an alien invasion or the damn apocalypse, but his head felt like it was being chopped into bite size pieces..

"C'mon mate, open your eyes!" Skye mouthed the words in front of him.

But it sure as hell wasn't her voice.

She grabbed his shoulders and shook him, the same British guy's voice coming out of her mouth again. "Wake up!"

Lincoln did.

A red warning light illuminated the room in increments, the alarm blazing. Lincoln sighed. He was still in that room. It wasn't real. Just another one of the dreams that had been continuously poured into his head with only one possible drive: Skye trying to sleep with him.

It was so tiring to discover they were dreams only to be put back under and tricked again.

This certainly was an odd one though.

"H-Hunter?"

"Oh good, you've joined the living. Great to see you Sparky, but we've got to get out of here! C'mon."

Hunter helped him sit up on the table. He'd already taken out the wires, but Lincoln still could only feel parts of his body.

"Let's go, they're waiting for us-"

"I can't move," Lincoln said. "They… had me paralyzed."

"What? Oh… well, you're… you're sitting alright."

"It's starting to come back to me," he told the agent. "Not that it matters."

"Not that it matters?" Hunter asked curiously.

"Yeah. Any moment Skye's going to show up and try to persuade me again. Then you'll probably die, or something. Maybe they're trying grieving sex..."

Hunter blinked at him.

"What the hell sort of drugs are they feeding you people?"

"Hunter!" a woman called from the doorway. Surprisingly, still not Skye. She usually made an appearance in these dreams by now.

But it was May.

"We need to move," she said.

"Would love to ma'am, but, couple problems," Hunter said. "One, he's paralyzed. Two: he's pretty off his rocker!"

"I'm not. I'm just catching onto your freaking plans. This is a  _dream._ "

May shifted to give Hunter a wary look. She stepped forward to Lincoln.

"This is not a dream," she assured.

"Prove it."

May inhaled, worried as though in a hurry. "You said you knew they were dreams sometimes?"

"Yeah."

"And how do you normally realize it's a dream?"

Lincoln thought about it, because he really hadn't before. They would never give him the time to. "When it just seems too… weird, I realize it, and they wake me up."

"Ok. So you've realized it, right?" May asked.

"Right…"

"Then why aren't you waking up?"

"Oh, I know!" Hunter exclaimed. "Because he's already bloody awake!"

May glared, probably because it was for Lincoln to answer. But he understood.

This was real?

"Oh god," he said. "Agent May, I-"

"No time," she said hurriedly, helping him off the bench. He flinched slightly at the human contact, having to grit his teeth. His first reaction was clearly to ward people off, like an automatic response after being hurt so much. Other than Skye of course, but he'd had her in his sights for months.

Which was probably why he was basically craving her presence. Worried at her absence.

"But… where's Skye?"

"They'll get her. Don't worry," May assured.

It would have been hard to take that to heart in the first place, such a small reassurance, but at Skye's terrorized scream from far off, which sounded muffled even given its volume, he didn't even have a chance.

May's face morphed to concern immediately, which was saying something about the woman who was usually just a mask. But she had a more maternal relationship with Skye than the girl's birth-mom.

"Help him," May said, leaning Lincoln on Hunter's shoulder. "I'll go find her."

"This isn't- that's not the plan!" Hunter shouted after her as she rushed down the hall. What hall, Lincoln had no idea. He had only ever walked somewhere in this place conscious once, and this was not that area.

Hunter groaned. "Alright Sparkles, let's get moving."

"You're worse than Skye with the nicknames…" Lincoln grumbled, tottering along Hunter's side. He didn't like having to have the support, or trusting them. He felt like it was going to be a trick or a dream at any moment.

Worse, Skye wasn't with them yet. And he could not imagine leaving her.

"Don't worry," Hunter said. "They'll get her out safe. Bob knows what she's doing, even if Ward is involved."

"Wait." Lincoln stopped in his tracks and shrugged away from Hunter. "Ward? Skye hates that creep!"

"Everyone  _hates_  him, and I'm no exception. He tortured my wife!"

"I know," Lincoln said. "That's why I was so shocked when you said you'd decided to just  _bring him along,"_ he sneered.

"We didn't just bring- there was a lot of debate and- ok, listen. We had to. Now, do you want to get out of here or not?"

"Skye will never trust him." Lincoln shook his head warily. "There's no way."

"Well I hope if he's offering a rescue, she'll take it."

"She won't." Lincoln said and turned around to go farther into the building. He was dimly aware of the hurt in his ankle.

"Well why the hell not?" Hunter called with irritation after him.

"Because she didn't the first time," he said.

Hunter just blinked, and Lincoln knew that had to be news to him that Ward had ever attempted to rescue them. So, the first time the man hadn't even been working with SHIELD… what the hell was his game?

It didn't matter. Lincoln had to go find Skye and tell her to come home.

Because there was no way in hell she was going to listen to Grant Ward.

* * *

"…should split up."

"No way in hell are we splitting up. Do you think I have an ounce a trust in you? It's in the damn negatives!"

A man and woman were arguing. Skye knew those voices. She did. Her head was a little muddled, but she was fairly certain the girl was a SHIELD agent. The other voice… stirred up some unpleasant feelings.

Wait.

Skye had to be hallucinating.

Bobbi and… Ward?

"Ok fine, you're the boss. I'm just saying there's an alarm, and based on the square footage along with –"

"If you give me statistics I swear to  _god_  I will shoot you. I know the numbers. Why do you think there's only one of us with you?" said the woman, then pausing a beat. "We'll split up. If you find  _anything_  you alert me before moving in."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," the man grumbled.

Skye tried to call out but found her throat to be too dry. She was on the ground, however she got there. She hadn't been on ground before, right? She'd been on-

An exam table.

Oh god, she remembered everything. Had they… had they already artificially inseminated her?

Looking down, Skye noted that she was still in the clothes she'd woken up in earlier, but she definitely wasn't on that table or in the exam room anymore. In fact, she seemed to have just been tossed aside into some random hallway. Hell, it could have been days since she'd last been awake...

"Skye!" she heard Ward's voice softly call out, getting closer.

This was just some trip from the drugs they'd given her. Had to be. Bobbi and Ward weren't together, they  _never_ would be together.

Skye could have tried to yell for help once again, but what would be the point? This was just her drug-addled mind confusing what she wanted and Ward's attempted rescue in the past.

"Skye!" he called when he caught her in his vision.

Oh wow, this was quite the hallucination. She could actually see the man clear as day in the doorway. And coming closer. Then his hands were on her.

His hands were  _on_  her.

"No…" she said weakly, trying to shove him off. Even in her dreams she didn't want that man touching her. Or what if someone was actually…  _operating_ on her, and this was just the manifestation of such?

She had to fight.

"It's ok Skye, just let me help you…" he muttered, placing a hand under the back of her neck in obvious preparation of lifting her up.

" _No,"_  she forced out, only slightly stronger. She dug her fingernails into him like claws.

"Hey!" said a strong female voice. "Back. Off."

"Are you kidding? We have to get-"

"I said to leave her, Ward!"

Skye felt the hands swiftly brush away from her. She then managed to pick herself up off the ground to a sitting position as Bobbi rushed forward.

"Are you hurt?" Bobbi asked, large eyes probing her with concern. "We're going to have to carry you if you can't walk."

Skye pushed at the woman. "Get away… from me."

It made sense. One man, one woman. It was Kane and Tessa operating on her while she was just too drugged to tell. Hell, if Kane really wanted to torture her he was probably doing this on purpose. Teasing her.

"She's out of it," Ward muttered in near awe. Bobbi hushed him angrily.

"Skye, please," Bobbi started. "We have to-"

Skye bolted.

She didn't know where the surge of energy had come from, adrenaline or whatever, but she had suddenly known she could run and so she did. She heard Bobbi calling from behind her as Skye hurried through the hallways, bumping into walls and tripping. However the energy had forced its way back, coordination clearly did not follow.

All of a sudden Ward was in front of her, grabbing her wrists over her power inhibitors. How the hell… he must have cut around.

Skye growled. "No!" she shouted, biting his hand hard without even so much as thinking about it.

"Ah!" he hissed in pain, but his hands did not retract until Bobbi waved him away.

"Whoa, Skye," she then called out gently, like Skye was some spooked horse. "You're ok."

She looked around wildly. She was trapped. Herded. And when they caught her they were going to do horrific things.

Bobbi reached out when she wasn't looking.

"Don't touch me, don't  _touch_ me!" she shrieked, surprised by her own voice.

"Ok!" Bobbi relented, releasing immediately and putting her hands into the air. "No one will touch you. But if you don't follow us they could catch you again."

"You are 'them'!" Skye snarled. "Don't try to act. You want to… put stuff in me," she worded oddly, unable to fathom speaking the term "baby" out loud.

"No," Bobbi said, taking a step forward. Skye nearly hissed as she bore her teeth and the girl halted. "We just want to take you back to SHIELD."

"Skye!"

Her hair flailed as she spun rapidly at the voice.

May.

"Don't," Bobbi warned. "She's not herself."

Her SO stopped advancing.

Not herself? Skye didn't understand.

"No, you guys aren't you. The trace didn't work…" Skye whimpered. "The real you couldn't even know where we are."

May and Bobbi shared glances, while Ward just appeared more intrigued than anything. "We didn't find you because of a trace. Ward got us in after Raina showed us where you were," Bobbi told her.

Skye merely shook her head in response, in disbelief. She couldn't take anything they were saying to heart.

"We don't have time for this!" Ward exclaimed.

Bobbi grimaced and thinned her eyes at him. "He's right," she said grudgingly. "We'll just have to take her."

 _I won't make it easy for you,_  Skye thought, stepping back into a stance. God, when was the last time she'd done  _that_?

The two female agents were on her in an instant, each grabbing an arm to start hauling Skye away.

Ok, maybe it  _was_ easy.

Skye bit Bobbi's shoulder, her teeth more and more becoming her go to weapon as of late. The woman winced through the pain.

" _Ow."_

"C'mon… Skye," May urged through strain.

"No!" Skye hollered, digging her heels into the ground.

"Bobbi," May said. "ICER."

She nodded and Skye went frantic, thrashing and flailing. Not that the gun would actually do anything if this  _was_ just a dream... she was probably making up the dialogue, really.

"There they are!"

Skye ripped her eyes away from Bobbi's belt where she was unhooking the weapon to see Lincoln and Hunter running for them.

"L-Lincoln?"

Their unwelcome hands dropped and Skye ran to meet him. It was probably just another part of her hallucination, but Lincoln felt… safe, in this place.

"It's ok, they're gonna take us home. But only if we leave now," Lincoln said.

Skye was shaking in his arms. "You're sure it's not a trick?" she asked hoarsely, her throat thick from tears waiting in the wings.

"If it is, what do we have to lose?"

Skye supposed that was true, though her mind had put together that letting them take her in this dream would be giving them access to her body, if she'd given up before. That seemed like nonsense now. They already had her, they didn't need her hallucination's permission.

Maybe the drugs were wearing off. Skye certainly felt able to think more clearly.

"I don't mean to squash this tender moment, and I say that incredibly sincerely given the hell I'm sure you two have been through, but we need to get out of here," Hunter put in gently.

Skye and Lincoln nodded.

They followed the SHIELD agents out of the facility, and Skye wondered where Kane and Tessa had gotten off to. She almost had CAMI added to the list when she remembered she had been a mere A.I.

Isolation must have really gotten to her.

Outside there was a quinjet waiting, big and powerful and ready to take her away. Skye was certain it was the most phenomenal sight she'd seen in her entire life.

They got inside and strapped themselves down. Skye was having such a hard time believing it was real. It was all too easy. She kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.

But it didn't.

In fact, as the sedative wore off she became more and more aware of just how real everything felt. Skye clung to Lincoln like a teddy bear. Her mind was still terrified even as they left, because Kane… he could have done anything to her.

She couldn't know.

They got a few miles out and stopped at a temporary camp the agents had built. Fitz and Simmons were waiting for them.

Jemma was positively beaming when she saw her, but Skye couldn't find enough warmth in her heart to so much as return the gesture. She was so on edge. So unprepared for Simmons to run over and wrap her up in a hug.

And despite the drugs continuing decline of their effects, that was when reality  _really_ came crashing back down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand we are finally full circle to chapter two! Next up... basically the start to a (hopefully) short sequel. Kind of. Not sure if I'm going to post it here or as a sequel yet haha. But stuff should be going down plotwise in the next chapter! That one will definitely still be in this story though.
> 
> Thank you emilia_kaisa and appleblossom2 for comments! And thank you for anyone who's left kudos as well :)


	42. ...Monkeys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kane makes an appearance to the whole team.

**_Present Day_ **

"We're landing?"

"Landing would be a generous term," Bobbi said, voice straining as her hands tightly gripped the yoke of the plane.

"Ah. Crashing, then?"

"Hunter!" May shouted. "Strap yourself in!"

Despite how much Lance had been trying to keep the situation light, he hurriedly did as the agent ordered. Having a good attitude could only get you so far when it came to plane wreckage kebabing you.

* * *

"Fitz!" Jemma called as soon as she found him. The plane really was huge... No wonder Coulson always raved about the aircraft.

"Jemma, you alright?" he asked, rushing forward with Raina close behind. Simmons noted the distinct lack of the other Inhuman, Naja.

"We're all fine... Where's-"

"Naja?" Fitz finished for her and she quickly nodded. "Haven't a clue. She turned invisible moment the plane was hit."

"She's been gone since," Raina explained. "Presumably..."

"Ah yeah," Fitz said, snapping his fingers. "She could still be about, honestly."

"Well that would be silly," muttered Jemma. "Just stand there listening to us wonder where she is..."

"She's scared, ok?" Fitz exclaimed hotly, clearly defending her. "She can hide when the flying vehicle we're in is being fired at."

"I know!" Jemma said indignantly. She did think this crush was a little ridiculous. Jemma would like to say that she wasn't jealous that Fitz's affections were split from herself for someone she thought of as less than up to par but… that might have been lying. "Most people don't have the opportunity to just… disappear! She should have the decency to let us know she's OK."

Fitz pursed his lips, but in the end he sighed. "You're right. Help me look, though?"

She took his hand. "Of course, Leo."

* * *

"What the hell happened?" Coulson huffed, slightly out of breath. His office was upstairs and… well, he could probably be in better shape.

"Kane hit us," May said from the co-pilot position on the plane. "Presumably."

"Presumably?"

"Well we can't be sure it's him," Bobbi said from the other seat. "I suppose you could say I'm taking a wild guess but considering our situation… seems to be the case."

_BRRRING! BRRRRING!_

"What is that?" Hunter's voice chimed in from… somewhere. Ah, he was in the cockpit's passenger seat. Coulson saw when Bobbi moved to the left.

"It's incoming communication," explained May, looking at her controls. "He's hacking our feed!"

Now Bobbi was frantically glancing over her controls as another alarm began to blare. "He's turning on our cameras? Why-"

The screen blipped, like a last spark of life trying to make its way through before turning off completely. The faces of Bobbi and May were gone.

But Coulson's teleconference camera wasn't the only thing to power down.

"Sir!" Mack said, bursting into the room. "The base has lost power."

"Thank you," Coulson greeted with a nod. "I can see that. Or, can't see it…"

"Yeah, can't see the hand in front of your own face either I bet."

Coulson flexed his robotic limb automatically. "Was that a joke?"

"Let's call it sarcastic irony because now's not really the time for jokes. Our security measures are down."

"What? That had to be an inside job."

"Trust me, I know. Now's a bad time to not have Fitz around."

Phil shrugged hopefully. "Want to try using a cell phone?"

He whipped out said device to hold it up in the dim glow of their generator lighting. "Tried it first thing. Dead. We're in the dark, director."

"Ok, that one was definitely a joke."

* * *

Considering the cameras had been turned on for them, it was kind of hard not to take a look at what the screen was portraying once the sight came to life. After they'd made their rather crash landing, a jet had come to rest just next to their own with precision and grace, the door opening moments later.

The man Bobbi recognized from her research as Tobias Kane waltzed out his small jet with such ostentation on display that she could have read him without so much as glancing at his file. He thought himself better than every person there; and he hadn't laid eyes on a single one of them yet.

"Oh agents!" he called out. "I have a surprise for you… but I cannot give it when you're not here!" He gasped. "Wait, rewind that. Agents! I cannot present your present without your  _presence_." He chuckled to the large woman beside him, who rolled her eyes.

Skye sighed as she watched the overcrowded monitor. "Oh, Thrash."

"Friend of yours?" May asked.

Lincoln shook his head. "For lack of a better term, I'd call her Skye's bully while we were at the fights."

"Why is she still around?" Skye asked the air. "She- I saw her get away!"

"Does she have a power?" asked Simmons.

"I mean, I'm guessing yes but… I don't know what it is. Lincoln?"

"No clue."

"Perfect," Bobbi mumbled bitterly. "He seems to have a nice team around him as well."

"Never goes anywhere without them it seems," Skye muttered, her features scrunched in anger. Her fists clenched and unclenched time and time again.

Morse took a deep breath. She knew she'd been acting out today when she'd really had no right to; she had just rescued two long-term prisoners and  _she_  had been the one being cruel to  _them_.

It was her turn to take charge.

"My surprise is waiting, agents of SHIELD!" Kane called, unabashedly showing them his impatience even through his cheery tone. "We wouldn't want anything to…. happen to it."

"What the hell is he going on about?" asked Hunter.

"He has something," Raina muttered cryptically. "Something real. He's not revealing it yet because he's excited…"

"If he's excited," started Fitz, "wouldn't he be impatient? Just say what it is?"

Bobbi knew what Raina was getting at and shook her head. "He wants to taunt us with it. Wants to see our faces. He's-"

"A psychopath," Skye finished.

Not the wording Bobbi had precisely picked out, but just as accurate. "Yeah."

May turned to Hunter and nodded at Bobbi. "We'll go meet with him. See what he wants. The rest of you stay here, got it?"

Skye inhaled, perhaps about to protest but nodded. No one looked happy about the prospect in fact, but they all agreed.

As the three field agents headed towards the exit Hunter laid a hand on Bobbi's shoulder. "You sure you're alright going out there? Your knee…"

She shrugged him off. "Even with it, I'm guessing I could do more damage than at least the run of the mill Hydra agent."

"Yeah I don't doubt that," Hunter said with a boyish grin. "But this isn't Hydra, these are people with powers, and-"

"And we'd be outmatched whether I was at one hundred percent or not." She shrugged. "I'm the better choice than non-combat trained agents and freshly recovered prisoners. Don't worry, I got this," she finished confidently, giving him a peck on the lips.

There was that stupid, out of place grin on his face again.

She loved it.

May had been waiting patiently ahead of them, slowly guiding their small group to the exit of the aircraft in order to give Hunter and Bobbi time for the chat. She visibly sped up when they were done, and soon the three of them were walking out the door.

They marched out as the sun beamed down onto them, making Bobbi squint before she was able to fully take in what was before her. It was the same as the video monitor though; Kane beaming with his posse all around him as they stood before the small jet they'd brought. Honestly, it was shocking they had all fit onto it.

"Ah yes, here's some!" Kane said with a clap of his hands. "Agents… Hunter, Morse and May, if I'm correct? Lovely to meet your acquaintance! Glad you could make this little meeting."

Bobbi eyed him flatly. "You shot down our plane."

"Ah. Yes. So I did." He shrugged. "But how we got here isn't really important I suppose. What's important is that we're all here!" He gasped, with what Bobbi could only describe as the most fake sounding surprise she'd ever heard. "Alas, wait! We're not all here, are we? Because my little Inhumans are  _still on your tacky plane._ "

By the end of his sentence he was near snarling. Bobbi was sure she could feel the possession he believed he had over her friends.

"They don't belong to you and they never will," Hunter boldly stated what was crossing Bobbi's mind. "So there's really no point to bringing them out here. Rather like dangling meat in front of hungry dog, eh? Would be rude of us…"

"If they don't come out then you don't get your preseeeent," he sang tauntingly with a wicked grin. His gang barely reacted to his odd antics, clearly used to his strange demeanor. Even after their debrief Bobbi didn't expect him to be quite  _this_  strange.

"You can keep it mate," Hunter told him. "Bit early for Christmas anyhow."

"Oh, you'll want this," the man replied darkly. "I- oh, it's so hard holding back for dramatic presence. You know what? I think I'll just show you. CAMI!"

What Bobbi could only describe as a flying computer monitor flew out of the plane then; straight in front of the three agents. They readied their guns but it halted a few feet out, and Kane clearly wasn't concerned with their weapons' appearance. It only took her a few moments to surmise that the thing before her was not dangerous.

But the picture that turned on a moment later was.

It was Coulson, in the base, in his office. He was moving around and hurriedly going through his toolbox files, checking on the wires… clearly trying to make communications work again.

Problem was, there wasn't normally a security feed to the director's office.

"How are you getting that feed?" Bobbi demanded.

"Ah, ah, ah, little missy… I think I get to ask the questions here," he informed her. "I'm the one with the gift to give, after all. And I'd say that your precious SHIELD director's life is a pretty good present, eh?" His smile dropped. "I want everyone  _off t_ he damn plane! The scientists too. I'd just  _love_  to meet Doctors Fitz and Simmons. I'll know if anyone's left; we have heat sensors of course."

The fact that he'd continuously been calling them all out by name was starting to unnerve Bobbi. Not once had Skye or Lincoln mentioned that he knew of SHIELD, but he clearly had enough information to know the exact agents on this mission. To have a camera inside their  _base_.

"We're here," Skye called out strongly a moment later. She was in the doorway, flanked closely by Lincoln. Fitz, Simmons and Raina tailed behind. Naja wasn't there, but maybe it wouldn't matter… lizards  _were_  cold-blooded. "Don't do anything you'd regret, Kane."

He giggled, sadistically. "There she is! Oh Quake, I missed you. Not your personality or anything like that, but you know… talking to you about how I can make you suffer or of course… actually making you suffer. And you cut your hair!" he exclaimed, as though just noticing. "It looks just horrible!"

"Yeah…" Thrash commented beside him. "Ain't your prettiest look, girl."

Bobbi imagined if she were to get a look at Skye, she'd be rolling her eyes right about then. "Ok, now that we've established I won't be posing for Cosmo anytime soon… I'd like to know what the hell it is you want, Kane."

The man clucked at her. "Still quite the moron, I see," he said, and Bobbi was sure she heard Lincoln growl. "Being back at SHIELD for a few hours clearly didn't change that. Anyway, what I want is  _you_ , dear."

"Like hell," growled May.

"I'm sorry, Miss Angrypants, but did you not see my little monitor over here? I'm the one with the leverage!"

"So you have a camera in the base," said Hunter. "Unless you know where it is-"

"I know exactly where it is you nitwitted chav, you just came from there. You gave me a direct map!" Kane chuckled. "Quake can tell you, I always get what I want."

The girl made a sound akin to a snarl. "I'd tell you to call me Skye, but if you want a  _quake_..."

Kane's hands flailed in front of him. "No, wait, wait just a moment-!"

"...I can oblige," Skye finished, punctuating the end of her sentence with a large energy surge from her hand.

Before it could reach her target the blast came to an abrupt halt, as though it had hit an invisible wall. Kane just about went bonkers.

"I said to  _wait_! I had the reveal of my forcefield all planned out, with timing and- well I  _suppose_ it doesn't matter," he chuckled. "So you see that I have a forcefield! I'm rather… akin to dealing with people that have powers, you know. Forcefields are an important player in that. Best fencing there is for the livestock."

Lincoln huffed harsh breaths at the term. "Call us what you want, but you were the one working for the museum," he shouted. "If we were ever owned, it certainly wasn't by you when we were in that place."

"Yes yes, I'll give you that one… but that's why I'm getting things back to the way they should be. Though thank you for assuming your ownership! It's refreshing to watch you powered people finally realizing your true place."

Skye was shaking her head in angered disbelief, her teeth nearly bared. The rage constantly present in her lately was certainly bubbling just below the surface now.

"Speaking of those with powers…" Kane muttered, throwing his head forward in a small gesture.

What followed was instant. The large woman took a step forward and thrust out her hands, as though pushing something incredibly heavy. A force similar to Skye's emerged from her palms. Hers was different in that the blast was wider, and had a reddish tint.

Bobbi didn't have time to react.

It blew through her before she could get her gun out, like a punch to the gut. She groaned, vaguely noting that Lance and May were in the same boat.

But none of them moved. None of them fell. Bobbi stood with her hand in her belt, reaching for her gun. She couldn't move a muscle.

They were frozen.

"No!" Skye shouted, quickly coming to action and punching the ground. A fissure grew from her hand immediately, but it stopped the moment it hit their barrier.

"Static, Quake, you remember Thrash?" Kane asked. "I'm not sure if you were ever familiar with her power…"

"Get in the jet… get back in the jet!" Skye exclaimed to everyone that could still move.

Bobbi could see that they were hesitant. Fitz almost grabbed for her.

"No. Just run!" Bobbi called, realizing with a start that she still had control of her voice. No paralysis she'd ever seen could do that… but this wasn't a drug or an ICER, it was an Inhuman power.

Fitz pursed his lips in obvious reluctance, but still he turned back to the plane. Not that it mattered in the end. Kane merely gestured for Thrash to deliver another attack.

This time Bobbi noticed how the forcefield opened up around her. It was mainly invisible, but there was a wiggle in the air like you'd see in an extremely hot dessert.

The wave passed over them. Though each one (minus Skye) was making a break for Zepher 1, they stopped in their tracks.

Bobbi was belatedly realizing how hopeless the situation was. They were all as good as captured, most of them not having powers. That made them useless to this man as far as Bobbi could tell… which meant they were likely to end up dead.

Naja hadn't been caught though. Maybe there was a chance.

"Oh, wonderful! We can finally drop this silly thing," Kane announced, the field shimmering away as he stepped forward. None of them could do anything, couldn't so much as twitch any part of them but their mouths, and he just advanced.

"Why are you working with him?" Skye called from her frozen position, which was likely the most comfortable out of the group. She had been hit standing tall and facing the threat. "He had you imprisoned."

The brutish woman went right up to Skye's face to address her, grinning sickeningly. "I like power, lil girl," Thrash told her in a thick southern accent. "When Kane offered me a job, it was kind of hard to refuse. Toying with people is so too much  _fun,_ " she exclaimed, punctuating her sentence by giving Hunter a shove that forced him to tip over to the ground.

"Hey!" Bobbi snarled, feeling helpless to aid Hunter as the woman chuckled. "Hunter, are you-"

"Don't worry love, I'm just peachy..."

"He found you," Skye said in presumption.

"He found a lot of us," Thrash said with venom in her voice.

"I collected most of them, of course. But Thrash I believed could be more useful to me as security. Her power and…  _creative_  mind together makes her  _ever_  so special."

"But it was just Lincoln and I in that place," Skye muttered.

Kane scoffed. "You think I would give that man my reclaimed assets? No! I grant you, working for that museum is what allowed me to gain back my credibility… learn of your involvement with SHIELD. Which is of course when I planted my mole…"

"Ward," Bobbi growled instantly.

" _No,_ " Kane said slowly, as though speaking to a child. "He's an interesting fellow. Hard to get a read on him… but  _he_  actually helped you steal my Inhumans away!"

Bobbi blinked, unsure of who it could be. One of the powered people they were housing perhaps, but SHIELD never gave them the base's location. Even when they were living in it.

"My girl never knew where she was… until- until-" He paused to laugh, all of a sudden seeming unable to control it. "Until you  _rescued_  my Inhumans, and led me straight to you!"

"No…" Skye whimpered. When Bobbi glanced at her, the terror in her eyes was unmistakeable.

"Yes! I've been planning to take your friends for quite some time, Quake. I have a score to settle with SHIELD for my father… And since I now have each of your individual medical… personal information or whatever, the possibilities are endless!"

"What…" Simmons gasped. "How did you get our personal information!"

"Ah, well you see, my girl on the inside took care of that."

If anyone could, they'd all have turned to Raina. Bobbi was sure of it.

But their real missing link walked right off the plane.

"I'm sorry," Naja called, blinking colors as she emerged.

"Naja?" Fitz whispered.

"Oh, did you think she actually liked you?" Kane asked. "She needed your equipment, boy! I wanted scans of everyone… and who better for the job than a creature that can turn invisible… who can trick the man in the lab into thinking she was there because she had a  _crush_."

If Bobbi didn't know any better, she'd say Naja looked miserable. She even apologized again, rue in her voice, but Fitz's eyes turned away.

"To be honest, I'm surprised a pipsqueak like you managed to snag anyone." Kane said as he slowly stepped closer, stopping in Simmons' face. "Though you were stuck in some Kree rock. And my dear, though you may not see it, it changed you." He smiled, placing a hand on her cheek. "Don't worry, I'll help you realize your potential..."

"Get your hands off her!" Fitz growled.

"Yes…" Kane mused, clearly in no hurry to comply to Fitz. He brought his hand down, absentmindedly wiping it on his pants. "Plenty of time for that later. Now, before I take you all with me, there was something I wanted to do, I think… what was it?"

"Kane would like to order the attack on the base in front of the SHIELD agents," the monitor Bobbi knew to be CAMI spoke up. "A direct quote from thirty six minutes prior: 'it will be so much fun. Ha-ha-ha-ha."

"Oh yes! CAMI, order the gifteds to move in."

"How did you get them inside?" May growled in askance. Even if Kane knew where the base was, there should have been enough security to keep them out.

"Why, don't you recognize them?" Kane asked, and Bobbi watched the screen as the powered people ran rampant. Coulson had a gun, but one of them merely waved a hand and he looked to fall asleep.

Kyle.

Bobbi knew him by name because the people attacking were the ones they'd rescued.

"You invited them in!" Kane exclaimed. "I merely had to send them a message, one  _tiny_  message and that was enough to betray their rescuers and come back to me." He laughed. "They are well trained from their time in the pits… and soon, each of you will be just as obedient."

Everyone stood silent, the fear of those words sinking in as Kane stood, ever-beaming.

"You think that was good?" he suddenly whispered. "Foreboding?"

Thrash nodded. "You're great with the scary words. I never get into those…"

"Well wonderful!" said Kane. "I suppose we can move out then."

Bobbi tried to put on a brave front, but when every single agent was being captured into a mad man's possession, it was hard to keep calm. Lincoln was hyperventilating. Skye was shouting,  _screaming_ obscenities. Coulson and Mack were being attacked on a screen in front of them, and this man had an army of terrified gifteds at his disposal.

Bobbi wasn't sure what was more dangerous. Loyalists, or terrorized people. Who would go further?

Guards came forward to gather them up, able to move their limbs easily into cuffs. It became apparent that their bodies weren't frozen solid, it just seemed that their brain could no longer connect with them to inform their appendages of what to do. When the men went for Skye, Bobbi heard her break into near hysterics.

Morse cursed herself. They were supposed to have rescued them, start their healing. Now they were going back to that hellish man... along with the whole SHIELD team, no less!

Because this man had a problem with SHIELD…. what was  _that_ about?

She supposed she'd just have to wait to find out, because the guy hadn't even stuck around to watch his prisoners get trussed up.

Bobbi stole one last look at Hunter, his form still lying unmoving on the ground, before a black bag over her head took her vision.

She fervently hoped she'd see him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no! Dang it, Kane!
> 
> The rest shall be posted as a sequel, considering the format of the story is changing to only the present now. It will be shorter than this first part and I think I'm going to take about a two week hiatus, but look out for it!
> 
> As always, thanks to emilia_kaisa and AslansCompass for commenting! I'll of course directly reply to any comments left on this chapter, considering it's the last. 
> 
> Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy the sequel!


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